'LI  E>  RARY 

OF   THE 

U  N  I  VERSITY 
OF    ILLINOIS 


S'/S- 


74- 


ILLINOIS  HISTORICAL  SURVEY 


SOCIETY 


Seventy -Tourth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry: 


Reunion  Proceedings 


AND 


History  of  the  Regiment. 


W.  P.  Lamb,  Book  and  Job  Printer, 

Rocfcford,  Illinois, 

1903 


7 


Committee  appointed  by  the  Society  of  the  Seventy- Fourth 
Illinois    Volunteers  presents   this    volume,  containing  papers 
on  the  campaigns  and  services  of  the  regiment,   read  at    its 
various   reunions.       Each  paper   was  prepared  by  a  member  who 
'    was  an  active  participant  in  the  campaign  of  which  he  writes,  and, 
,    together,    they  cover  the  entire  service  of  the  regiment,  and  have  a 
value  and  charm  that  always  come  from  personal  knowledge  and  per- 
sonal reminiscence  of  great  events. 

With  these  papers  we  have  incorporated  the  proceedings  of 
those  reunions  at  which  they  were  read,  so  far  as  they  were  pre- 
served  in  the  pamphlets  published  at  the  time.  Many  of  the  speeches, 
and  all  of  the  badinage  and  by-play,  that  contributed  so  much  to  the 
pleasure  of  those  reunions  and  their  accompanying  camp  fires,  were 
impromptu,  were  not  taken  doivn  at  the  time,  nor  written  out  after- 
ivards,  and  so  were  lost. 

The  first  reunion  was  held  at  Rockford,  Illinois,  on  the  twenty- 
first  anniversary  of  our  muster  into  the  U.  S.  service,  and  there 

A. 

were  present  167.  The  last  reunion  was  held  on  June  loth,  1903, 
the  thirty-eighth  anniversary  of  our  muster  out,  and  there  were 
present  75.  The  decreased  attendance  was  due,  not  to  any  lack  of 
interest,  for  that  has  increased  with  the  growing  years,  but  to  our 
rt-  constantly  lessening  numbers;  and  while  some  of  us  are  still  on  duly, 
we  wish  to  put  in  a  more  permanent  form  what  has  been  preserved 
of  the  proceedings  of  our  regimental  reunions,  and  especially  of  our 
regimental  history.  To  make  good  that  wish  this  volume  is  pub- 
lished. 

JOHN  H.    SH ERR  ATT, 

HOSMER  P.  HOLLAND, 

JOHN  W-  BEATSON. 

Rockford,  Illinois, 

September  qth, 


Proceedings  Pirst  Reunion 

September  3rd  and  4th,  1553,  at  RocKford,  Illinois. 

PRESENT  167 


BUSINESS    MEETING, 

On  Monday,  the  3d  inst.,  at  3  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  regiment 
was  called  to  order  by  Robert  Simpson,  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee of  arrangements,  at  the  speaker's  stand  on  the  Fair 
Grounds,  where  the  comrades  were  assembled. 

Lieut.  John  H.  Nye  was  elected  chairman,  and  Andrew  J. 
Guilford  secretary,  of  the  meeting.  Lieut.  Nye,  in  a  few  ap- 
propriate remarks,  thanked  the  regiment  for  the  honor  conferred 
in  selecting  him  to  preside,  and  then,  with  military  promptness, 
requested  that  business  be  proceeded  with. 

An  informal  and  general  discussion  was  then  had  upon  the 
question  of  time  and  place  of  holding  another  reunion  of  the 
regiment,  when,  upon  motion  of  C.  H.  C.  Bagwell,  it  was  unani- 
mously resolved  that  the  regiment  should  hold  a  reunion  upon 
the  Fair  Grounds  at  Rockford,  111.,  or  at  some  other  suitable 
place,  to  be  designated  by  a  committee  selected  at  this  meeting, 
and  that  such  reunion  he  held  Sept.  4,  1884. 

It  was  then  resolved  to  effect  a  permanent  organization,  and 
the  following  officers  were  elected: 

President — Robert  Simpson. 
Vice-President — John  W.  Beatson. 
Secretary — John  H.  Sherratt. 
Treasurer — Marcus  S.  Parmele. 

The  expediency  of  publishing,  in  pamphlet  form,  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  reunion  was  then  discussed,  and  it  was  unani- 
mously determined  to  undertake  such  publication. 


6  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

Comrades  Hosmer  P.  Holland,  Robert  Simpson  and  John 
H.  Sherratt,  were  then  appointed  a  committee  to  take  charge  of 
such  publication,  and  the  further  duty  was  imposed  upon  them 
of  sending  to  each  member  of  the  regiment,  whose  address  can 
be  ascertained,  a  copy  of  such  pamphlet. 

Upon  motion  of  Hosmer  P.  Holland,  it  was  then  voted  that 
the  chairman  appoint  an  executive  committee  of  ten,  to  act  in 
conjunction  with  the  officers,  in  making  arrangements  for  the 
next  reunion,  and  at  once  to  ascertain  and  report  to  the  secre- 
tary the  names  and  residences  of  absent  non-resident  comrades. 
The  chairman  then  appointed,  as  such  committee  the  follow- 
ing comrades: 

Co.  A — James  S.  Cowen. 

Co.  D— J.  H.  Douglass. 

Co.  C — Hosmer  P.  Holland. 

Co.  E — David  Dawson. 

Co.  F — Christopher  Ballou. 

Co.  G — Joseph  F.  Hawthorne. 

Co.  I— Franklin  W.  Fuller. 

Co.  H — Stanley  G.  Lockwood. 

Co.  K— John  Z.  Rydberg.     . 

Co.  B— Edwin  Wells. 

A  communication  was  received  from  G.  L.  Nevius  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  tendering  the  use  of  its  hall  for  the  assembly  of  the 
regiment  this  evening.  The  proffered  courtesy  was  accepted 
with  thanks. 

Upon  motion,  the  meeting  then  adjourned,  to  re-assemble 
at  7:00  p.  m.  at  G.  A.  R.  Hall,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  to 
march  and  receive  Gen.  Philip  Sidney  Post,  to  arrive  at-  7:35 
p.  m.;  the  regiment  to  march  under  the  command  of  Lieut. 
Thos.  W.  Cole. 


At  7  p.  m.  the  regiment  (about  150  in  the  ranks)  marched 
to  the  Chicago  &  Iowa  depot,  under  charge  of  Lieut.  Cole  and 
Lieut.  John  Beatson,  acting  adjutant. 

Promptly  at  7:35  the  train  rolled  up  to  the  platform,  along 
which  the  line  had  been  formed,  and  at  once  three  cheers  were 
given  for  Gen.  Post,  who  alighted  from  the  cars  in  charge  of  the 
committee. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  7 

He  was  saluted  by  the  men,  and  after  a  short  period  of  irre- 
pressible hand  shaking  with  their  old  commander,  the  regiment 
fell  into  line  and  marched  in  escort  to  the  Holland  House,  where 
quarters  had  been  provided  for  the  General. 

Ranks  were  soon  after  broken  at  G.  A.  R.  hall,  and  a  large 
portion  of  the  veterans  returned  to  the  Fair  Grounds,  where 
they  had  a  camp-fire  and  bivouaced  for  the  night. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  September  4th,  the  camp  was  aroused 
by  Reveille  at  6  a.  m.,  and  at  7  a.  m.  a  hearty  breakfast,  under 
the  superintendence  of  genial  Harry  Plainer,  chef  dc  cusinc — than 
whom  no  man  can  brew  a  more  inviting  cup  of  coffee — was  had 
in  one  of  the  halls. 

At  10  a.  m.  the  comrades,  with  their  many  friends  who  had 
assembled,  took  seats  in  front  of  the  speaker's  stand — hand- 
somely decorated  with  the  old  flags  and  banner  of  the  regi- 
ment— when  Hosmer  P.  Holland,  who  had  been  assigned  by  the 
Committee  of  Arrangements  to  special  duty,  as  historian,  sub- 
mitted the  following: 

HISTORY   OF   SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILLINOIS 

BY    HOSMER    P.    HOLLAND 

Comrades — Before  going  into  the  matter  I  have  prepared  for 
the  occasion,  I  wish  to  say  a  word  about  another  thing  that 
struck  me  with  great  force,  as  I  lately  ran  through  the  files  of 
the  Rockford  Register  of  the  years  1862  to  1865.  I  revert  to  this 
with  all  the  more  reason  because  on  such  a  day  as  this,  and  in 
fact  on  all  public  occasions,  so  many  good  things  are  being  said 
of  the  soldiers.  I  refer  to  the  evidence  presented  on  page  after 
page  of  those  newspaper  files,  covering  a  period  crowded  with 
events,  of  steadfast  and  unwavering  support  given  by  the  good 
and  true  people  at  home  to  their  brothers  at  the  front;  a  sup- 
port, without  which  all  the  privations  endured,  all  the  gallant 
feats  of  arms,  all  the  heroic  bravery  of  men  which  illuminated 
those  dark  days,  would  have  been  fruitless. 

As  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  moved  forward  in  its 
march,  first  Louisville,  then  Nashville,  next  Murfreesboro,  and 
lastly  Chattanooga  was  its  base. 

But  behind  every  line  which,  in  the  strategic  plan  of  the 
general,  was  called  the  base,  was  another  line,  along  which  were 
ranged  the  earnest  and  true  men  and  women  who  were  working 


8  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

and  sustaining  those  who  were  driving  a  wedge  into  the  very 
heart  of  the  Confederacy,  who  were  helping  their  brothers  in 
the  van,  not  alone  by  words  of  cheer,  but  by  money  and  work. 

And  if,  for  the  soldiers  who  were  doing  their  part  in  the 
great  task  set  before  the  people  of  the  North,  it  be  said  that 
they  did  no  more  than  their  duty,  is  it  fair  to  say  that  their  con- 
stant friends  at  home  did  less  than  their  duty,  also? 

And  is  it  not,  at  this  day,  in  the  heart  of  every  survivor  of 
the  74th — a  regiment  which  so  often  had  practical  proof  of  the 
good  will  and  active  sympathy  of  "The  Reserve"  at  home, — is 
it  not  in  your  hearts  to  be  just  to  those  who  were  so  generous  to 
you,  and  say  to  them,  "Good  friends,  you  too  acquitted  your- 
selves well  of  the  portion  allotted  to  you  in  the  great  work  given 
the  Nation  to  do;  and  your  sacrifices,  your  gifts,  and  your  con- 
stancy deserve  a  page  of  history  no  less  bright  and  no  less  sacred 
than  that  which  bears  the  record  of  march  and  battle. 

I  do  not  wish  what  I  have  to  say  at  this  time  to  be  dignified 
as  history,  under  which  title  it  is  set  down  on  the  program  pre- 
pared for  the  occasion.  The  official  record  of  the  regiment  is 
embodied  in  the  reports  of  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  State, 
and  more  detailed  accouuts  of  its  career  are  preserved  in  the 
files  of  local  newspapers.  Each  regiment  of  the  Grand  Army 
however  had  its  personal  history;  and  though  each  was  but  one 
unit  in  the  mighty  game  of  war,  each  made  a  certain  record 
which  does  not  appear  on  the  pages  of  any  historian;  which  sur- 
vives, if  it  all,  in  the  memories  of  those  who  are  still  among  the 
living,  or  in  the  written  records  of  its  soldiers.  Necessarily  my 
narrative  must  largely  be  a  personal  one;  for,  in  its  preparation, 
my  chief  resource  has  been  a  journal  made  at  the  time,  as  events 
occurred,  giving  my  own  impressions  of  them,  supplemented  by 
a  file  of  letters  to  a  friend,  with  whom  I  corresponded  during 
my  entire  service,  and  which  have  been  kindly  placed  at  my  dis- 
posal, together  with  the  files  of  the  Rockford  Register,  contem- 
poraneous with  the  war.  So  much  by  way  of  apology  for  fre- 
quent use  of  the  personal  pronoun. 

The  74th  was  mustered  into  service  September  4th,  1862,  at 
Camp  Fuller,  Rockford,  and  remained  at  its  rendezvous  until 
Sunday,  the  28th  of  the  same  month,  when,  having  received 
orders  from  the  war  department  to  report  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  it 
marched  from  the  camp  at  10  a.  m.,  and  took  cars  for  its  desti- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  9 

nation.  The  journey  was  without  notable  event,  and  the  night 
of  September  30th  was  passed  by  the  new  regiment  in  the  streets 
of  Louisville,  then  crowded  with  troops,  veterans  and  new 
levies,  from  which  Buell's  army  was  being  formed,  to  resist  the 
forces  of  Bragg,  fresh  from  a  victorious  invasion  of  Kentucky. 

The  regiment  was  brigaded  with  the  22d  Indiana,  the  59th 
and  75th  Illinois,  and  the  5th  (Pinney's)  Wisconsin  Battery. 
Col.  Philip  Sidney  Post,  of  the  59th  Illinois,  was  assigned  to  the 
command  of  the  brigade,  which  formed  a  part  of  Gen.  R.  B. 
Mitchell's  command,  attached  to  Gilbert's  Division  of  McCook's 
Corps. 

From  this  time  until  the  7th  of  November  following,  when 
Nashville  was  reached,  the  74th  was  almost  constantly  on  the 
march. 

Recurring  to  that  period,  you  will  remember  the  dusty 
roads,  the  terrible  drouth,  the  suffering  for  want  of  water  and 
the  forced  marches — one  day,  as  I  remember,  twenty-six  miles 
were  made. 

Let  us  recall  some  of  the  incidents,  grave  or  gay,  of  that 
probationary  period.  On  the  8th  of  October,  1862,  Bragg's 
army  made  a  stand  at  Perry ville,  Ky.,  and  here  was  fought  the 
first  battle  of  the  campaign;  for,  though  many  skirmishes,  and 
some  serious  brushes,  had  before  been  had,  in  several  of  which 
the  74th  were  engaged,  no  general  engagement  had  been  pre- 
cipitated. As  is  well  known,  the  fight  at  Perryville,  while  leav- 
ing our  army  master  of  the  field,  was  indecisive  in  its  result, 
since  Buell,  from  some  cause  which  he  never  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained, permitted  no  pursuit  of  Bragg's  retreating  forces,  which 
made  a  leisurely  promenade  to  Cumberland  Gap.  The  conduct 
of  Gen.  Buell,  on  this  occasion,  became  the  subject  of  investi- 
gation by  the  War  Department,  and  on  the  24th  of  October  fol- 
lowing, by  order  from  Washington,  he  turned  the  command  of 
the  army  over  to  Gen.  Rosecrans.  This  change  was  hailed  with 
delight  by  the  soldiers,  among  whom  Buell  was  far  from  popular. 
As  to  the  estimation  in  which  General  Rosecrans  was  held,  it 
may  be  safely  said  that  no  officer  of  the  northern  armies  was 
more  loved  by  his  men,  for  they  believed  him  invincible,  and 
believed  also  that  he  made  their  comfort  a  matter  of  his  own 
personal  attention.  Immediately  "Old  Rosey,"  as  the  men 
called  him,  reorganized  the  army,  and  Col.  Post's  brigade,  as 


10  FIRST    REUNION    OF   THE 

originally  constituted,  became  the  1st,  and  was  attached  to  the 
first  division,  under  Jeff  C.  Davis,  of  the  20th  Corps,  commanded 
by  Gen'l  McCook. 

Saturday,  October  25th,  1802,  the  regiment  camped  at  Dan- 
ville, Ky. ;  and  on  the  following  night  snow  fell  to  the  depth  of 
three  inches.  On  Nov.  5th,  at  4  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  74th  crossed 
the  line'between  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  a  large,  square  block 
of  stone,  set  up  in  the  middle  of  the  turnpike,  marking  alike  the 
boundary  between  those  States,  and  also  that  famous  Mason  and 
Dixon's  Line  which  cut  so  large  a  figure  in  the  politics  of  thirty' 
years  ago  ;  and  on  the  farther  side  of  which,  as  secession  geo- 
graphies would  make  us  believe,  lay  that  Southern  Confederacy 
which  we  were  entering  as  invaders.  The  fact  that  we  were  at 
last  in  Dixie  was  announced  by  loyal  yells,  hurrahs,  and  shouts 
infinite  in  number  and  variety  of  tone.  One  incident  of  the  day, 
occurring  before  passing  out  of  Kentucky,  was  not  only  amusing, 
but  also  gratifying,  as  it  showed  we  were  not  even  there  quite 
without  friends.  As  the  74th  was  marching  quietly  past  a  white 
house  by  the  roadside,  their  attention  was  arrested  by  an  object 
on  the  projecting  balcony,  which  made  every  eye  brighter  and 
every  pulse  beat  more  quickly.  There,  unattended,  stood  a 
young  woman,  more  than  passing  fair,  on  whose  head,  crowned 
with  golden  locks,  twenty  summers  had  left  their  kindly  touch — 
her  bonnet  was  loosely  tied  and  fell  back  gracefully  from  a 
shapely  head,  which  was  bent  toward  us — her  cheeks  were  flushed 
and  rosy — her  face  was  beaming  with  delight,  while  her  willowy 
frame  was  tremulous  with  emotion.  In  fine,  the  picture  was  that 
of  intense  enthusiasm.  Holding  aloft  the  banner  of  the  Union 
— the  Stars  and  Stripes— she  waved  the  majestic  ensign  above 
her  head,  and  shouted  in  accents  sincere,  if  not  silvery:  ''Give 
'em  thunder!  Give  'em  Hail  Columby!  I  hope  there  won't  be 
no  Rebels  left  nowhere,  'thout  it's  down  below !"  Well,  we 
might  find  some  fault  with  the  grammar,  but  the  sentiment  was 
heartily  endorsed,  and  her  salutation  was  returned  by  a  volley 
of  laughter,  hearty  cheers  and  a  waving  of  hats.  From  Nov. 
8th  to  Dec.  26th,  1862,  the  regiment  was  encamped  at  Nashville, 
though  participating,  meantime,  in  some  expeditions  made  neces- 
sary by  the  activity  of  the  enemy  who  were  threatening  the  rail- 
road to  Louisville.  That  they  were  not,  though  in  camp,  alto- 
gether idle,  is  evidenced  by  the  following  daily  routine,  then 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  11 

observed  :  o  a.  m.  reveille;  7  a.  m.  morning  reports;  10  a.  m. 
company  drill;  11  a.  m.  non-commissioned  officers'  drill;  2  to  4 
p.  m,  batallion  drill;  5  p.  m.  dress  parade;  7  p.  m.  roll  call;  9 
p.  m.  taps.  About  this  time  a  report  reached  Rockford  that  the 
74th  were  suffering  for  lack  of  sufficient  food,  and  that,  for  three 
days,  they  had  subsisted  on  short  rations  of  field  corn,  when  in 
fact  they  were,  while  supposed  to  be  in  so  deplorable  a  condition, 
engaged  in  barter  with  rural  natives,  trading  brown  sugar  at  75c. 
a  pound  for  milk  at  lOc.  per  quart,  or  exchanging  half  a  pound 
of  coffee  for  half  a  bushel  of  meal.  On  Dec.  4th,  1862,  this 
regiment,  which  left  Camp  Fuller  940  strong,  showed  present 
for  duty  600  men.  On  that  day  they  moved  from  camp  eight 
miles  to  the  front  for  the  purpose  of  reconnoitering  the  enemy's 
position. 

The  advance  was  slow,  as  it  was  known  that  the  rebels  were 
near,  and  skirmishers  were  accordingly  thrown  out.  Lieut. -Col. 
Kerr  was  in  command,  and  was  accompanied  by  Capt.  Hatch> 
A.  A.  G.,  and  an  aide  from  brigade  headquarters. 

About  sundown,  Col.  Kerr,  advancing  slowly  down  the 
road,  with  the  skirmishers  on  either  side  of  him  moving  cautious- 
ly forward,  descried  a  mounted  confederate  riding  at  full  gallop 
from  a  wayside  house.  Immediately  Kerr  and  the  two  officers 
with  him  put  spurs  to  their  horses  and  set  off  in  hot  pursuit,  the 
skirmish  line  and  the  entire  force  following  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible. Kerr  and  his  two  comrades  kept  on  until  the  horse  of 
the  aide  fell,  throwing  and  seriously  stunning  his  rider. 

Capt.  Hatch  then,  at  the  request  of  Kerr,  dismounted  to 
assist  the  fallen  officer,  while  the  Colonel  pressed  on  in  chase  of 
the  flying  foe.  Hatch  having  ascertained  that  no  great  injury 
had  been  done  to  his  comrade,  remounted  and  hurried  on  to 
overtake  Kerr,  and  reports  that  he  saw  him,  as  he  gained  the 
crest  of  a  little  rise  in  advance,  fire  his  pistol,  and  at  once  pass 
down  out  of  sight. 

Meantime  the  men  had  come  up  on  double  quick  only  to 
find  that  Kerr  had  been  captured.  His  hat  and  revolver,  one 
chamber  of  which  was  discharged,  were  found  by  the  roadside. 

On  the  12th  of  December  Col.  Kerr, who  had  been  taken  to 
Murfreesboro  and  paroled,  rejoined  the  regiment. 

He  then  reported  to  Columbus,  O.,  was  there  exchanged, 
and  shortly  after  rejoined  his  regiment  for  duty. 


12  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

December  26,  '62,  the  campaign  which  culminated  in  the 
five  days'  battle  at  Murfreesboro  was  fairly  begun,  the  whole 
army  being  in  motion.  On  that  day  the  74th  encountered  the 
enemy  and  helped  to  dislodge  one  of  his  batteries,  whose  shells 
had  made  it  very  uncomfortable.  An  advance  ot  fourteen  miles 
was  scored.  Saturday,  December  27,  from  11  a.  m.  to  4  p.  m., 
was  passed  in  skirmishing,  and  slow  advance  in  line  of  battle, 
driving  the  enemy. 

On  Sunday,  the  28th  of  December,  by  tacit  consent  both 
armies  rested.  On  Monday,  the  29th  of  December,  the  regiment 
advanced  ten  miles  toward  Murfreesboro,  and  bivouacked  with- 
out fires. 

Tuesday,  the  30th,  there  was  constant  skirmishing  and 
heavy  artillery  firing  by  both  armies.  The  lines  were  drawn 
close  together,  and  at  last  the  two  forces  confronted  each  other 
for  the  deadly  struggle  so  long  expected.  This  night  all  slept 
on  their  arms,  bivouacking  in  the  cedars  without  fires,  and 
throughout  the  night  there  was  much  firing  between  the  picket 
lines.  At  this  time  the  rebel  line  was  but  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
from  our  own. 

At  four  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  31st,  our  men  fell  into 
line  and  rested  on  their  arms  until  break  of  day.  A  gray  mist 
prevailed,  but  at  daylight  we  could  see  the  Confederate  hosts  in 
vast  numbers  moving  by  the  left  flank  in  three  columns  across 
our  front,  and  at  once  our  own  column  began  to  move,  by  the 
right,  scarcely  more  than  eighty  rods  from  and  in  a  line  parallel 
to  that  of  the  enemy,  our  movements  being  partially  screened  by 
cedar  thickets  through  which  we  passed. 

Heavy  and  continuous  firing  was  meantime  heard  between 
the  skirmishers,  who  were  becoming  more  closely  engaged. 
This  movement  of  the  enemy,  by  column  to  the  left,  continued 
for  about  half  an  hour,  when  it  ceased,  and,  facing  to  the  front, 
the  rebels  made  a  fierce  onslaught  on  Johnson's  division  on  our 
right,  completely  surprising  that  division  and  capturing  its  bat- 
teries before  a  gun  had  been  fired.  The  rapid  retreat  of  John- 
son's troops  exposed  our  right  to  a  severe  enfilading  fire,  and,  to 
avoid  this,  our  brigade  at  once  changed  front  to  the  rear,  and 
falling  back  some  sixty  rods,  took  position  behind  a  rail  fence. 
This  movement  was  accomplished  without  confusion,  and  the 
lines  were  unbroken. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  13 

Scarcely  had  the  men  faced  to  the  front  when  the  Confed- 
erates, animated  by  the  cheers  of  their  comrades  who  had  so 
easily  routed  the  extreme  right  of  our  army,  advanced  on  our 
front  in  an  overwhelming  force  of  three  lines.  As  soon  as  our 
men  had  been  formed,  and  while  every  nerve  was  tense  and 
every  sense  expectant,  our  Division  General,  Jeff.  C.  Davis,  rode 
along  in  front,  and  turning  to  the  men,  with  eyes  that  fairly 
blazed,  said  in  his  unregenerate  fashion,  "Give  them  hell,  74th! 
Keep  cool  and  fire  low" — and  then  trotted  calmly  past,  as  if  it 
had  been  a  review. 

However,  we  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  enemy  commenced 
firing  at  long  range,  but  heedful  of  the  good  advice  given,  the 
regiment  reserved  its  fire  until  they  were  close  upon  us,  and  then 
opened  with  volley  after  volley,  which  made  the  solid  lines  re- 
coil, but  could  not  permanently  check  the  advance  of  such 
superior  numbers  against  our  own  light  lines.  Meanwhile  the 
5th  Wisconsin  bull  dogs  had  not  been  idle,  but  poured  in  grape 
and  canister  at  short  range,  making  fearful  havoc  in  the  closely 
pressing  Confederate  ranks. 

With  undaunted  courage  the  rebels  came  on,  and  we  could 
plainly  hear  the  commands,  "forward,"  "close  up,"  amid  all  the 
din  of  shot  and  shell.  It  being  a  choice  between  retreat  and  the 
utter  destruction  or  capture  of  the  entire  division,  we  were  or- 
dered to  fall  back.  The  74th  retreated  only  after  every  other 
regiment  of  the  division  had  fallen  to  the  rear.  This  movement, 
made  in  the  face  of  a  vastly  superior  pursuing  force,  was  not 
without  some  confusion  ;  but  after  falling  back  three-fourths  of 
a  mile,  the  men  were  rallied,  the  lines  re-formed,  and  the  enemy 
not  only  checked  but  driven  back  a  considerable  distance.  The 
result  of  the  day's  struggle  between  the  two  armies  was  some- 
what of  a  drawn  game.  The  casualties  of  the  engagement  to  the 
74th  were  eight  killed,  thirty-five  wounded,  forty-two  missing  or 
captured.  Total  eighty-five. 

In  his  report  of  the  action,  Col.  Post  used  the  following 
language  :  "The  deliberation  and  order  with  which  the  74th  Il- 
linois regiment  retired  is  especially  commended."  This  closed 
the  chapter  for  1862,  except  that  on  the  same  night  a  portion  of 
the  regiment  had  a  brush  with  the  Confederate  cavalry. 

On  January  1st,  1863,  the  74th  was  in  line  of  battle  all  day, 
and  had  some  skirmishing  with  the  enemy. 


14  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

On  the  night  of  January  2d,  the  command  was  moved  across 
Stone  River  in  support  of  the  extreme  left,  then  heavily  engaged; 
but  before  reaching  the  scene  of  action  the  rebels  were  in  full 
retreat. 

Neither  on  the  ~2d  or  3d  of  January  were  any  general  engage- 
ments precipitated,  though  severe  contests,  resulting  in  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  Union  forces,  occurred  at  intervals  during  both 
days  between  portions  of  the  opposing  forces.  The  morning  of 
Sunday,  the  4th,  rose  bright  and  warm,  and  it  was  then  learned 
that  the  enemy  had  evacuated  Murfreesboro,  the  principal  por- 
tion of  his  army  falling  back  to  Shelbyville.  In  this  sketch  of 
a  series  of  actions,  beginning  with  the  fight  at  Nolensville,  on 
the  26th  day  oi  December,  in  which  the  74th  engaged,  and  con- 
tinuing with  incessant  march  and  skirmish  for  eight  days,  it  has 
been  necessary  to  pass  rapidly  by  many  details.  The  result  of 
the  movement  was  the  immediate  establishment  of  our  army  in 
a  fortified  camp  along  the  hardly  won  line  of  Stone  River. 

You  will  recall  the  trust  and  reliance  we  used  to  place  in 
the  5fh  Wisconsin  battery,  so  long  attached  .to  Post's  brigade, 
and  its  heroic  commander,  Capt.  O.  F.  Pinney,  always  conspic- 
uous for  coolness  and  gallantry;  and  you  will  remember,  also, 
how  reassured  and  comfortable  we  used  to  feel  when  that  splen- 
did organization  supported  our  movements,  and  gave  the  enemy 
good  proof  that  it  could  bite  as  well  as  bark. 

Recurring  to  the  action  at  Stone  River:  Pinney's  battery 
was  in  position  in  support  of  our  brigade  at  sunrise,  the  six  pieces 
double  shotted  with  grape  and  canister,  and  received  the  assault 
at  short  range,  fairly  mowing  down  the  enemy.  As  we  after- 
wards learned,  three  hundred  dead  rebels  lay  stark  and  stiff  upon 
the  slope  of  the  little  knoll  where  those  guns  were  posted. 

Just  before  the  order  was  given  to  fall  back,  Capt.  Pinney 
was  wounded,  as  afterward  proved  mortally,  a  ball  striking  his 
thigh  and  crushing  the  bones.  As  he  fell,  he  turned  to  his  men 
and  directed  them  to  get  off  the  field  with  their  guns  in  as  good 
order  as  possible,  and  not  to  mind  him,  as  he  would  encumber 
their  movements.  This  order  was  sorrowfully  obeyed,  for  it  was 
then  believed  that  he  could  survive  but  a  few  moments. 

All  of  that  day  and  the  succeeding  night,  which  was  raw  and 
cold,  Pinney  lay  between  the  lines,  unattended  by  friend  or  foe 
without  food  or  water.  Sometime  the  next  day  he  was  picked 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  15 

up  and  carried  to  the  field  hospital,  where  he  survived  only  until 
February  17th  following.  During  his  illness  he  was  attended 
by  some  of  his  own  men,  who  stated  that  in  his  feverish  dreams 
his  mind  constantly  wandered  back  to  that  bloody  field,  where 
the  seed  sown  was  iron  and  lead,  and  the  harvest  reaped  was 
death,  now  cheering  his  boys,  praising  a  good  shot,  and  direct- 
ing the  range  of  those  terrible  guns  that  dealt  such  havoc  to  the 
very  flower  of  the  Confederate  hosts,  Hardee's  corps.  And  now 
allow  me  to  recall  a  picture  of  the  action  of  January  1st,  1863. 
It  is  a  marvelous  and  a  pleasant  thing  to  recur  to  that  absolute 
trust  which  his  men  reposed  in  "Old  Rosy,"  and  the  enthusiasm 
with  which  they  greeted  his  appearance  on  the  field  that  day, 
when  the  massed  batteries  of  the  Union  army  belched  forth  their 
deadly  greeting  to  the  solid  lines  of  Breckenridge's  advancing 
forces,  driving  them  in  confusion,  and  in  effect  deciding  the  fate 
of  the  contest.  All  that  day  the  74th  had  been  in  line  of  battle, 
or  on  the  skirmish  line,  and  at  3  p.  m.  the  main-  body  of  the 
brigade  was  deployed  along  the  Murfreesboro  Pike,  about  three 
miles  from  the  town,  with  skirmishers  engaging  briskly  those  of 
the  enemy. 

Both  Rosecrans  and  McCook  had  hovered  in  our  immediate 
vicinity  all  day.  Who  is  there  among  you  that  cannot  evoke 
from  the  shadows  of  memory  a  picture  of  our  beloved  General 
riding  slowly  past  the  lines,  acknowledging,  with  a  graceful 
touch  of  his  hat,  the  enthusiastic  shouts  which  greeted  his  pres- 
ence, and  frequently  halting  to  note  with  his  glass  the  move- 
ments of  the  skirmishers  hotly  engaged  in  our  front? 

The  picture  we  carry  of  him  as  he  appeared  to  us  there  is 
that  of  a  large,  stout  man,  with  the  untroubled  look  of  one  who 
enjoyed  life,  a  kindly,  genial  face,  a  bright  eye,  a  Roman  nose, 
whiskers  sprinkled  with  gray.  A  splendid  horseman,  he  rode 
slowly  by  the  waiting  lines,  and  we  noted  the  plainness  of  his 
dress,  the  most  marked  feature  of  which  was  the  overcoat  of  a 
common  soldier.  And  though  he  was  the  chief  player  in  that 
mighty  game,  and  it  was  his  will  that  set  all  the  pieces  in  mo- 
tion— though  upon  him  was  the  responsibility  of  watching  and 
meeting  every  movement  of  the  enemy,  and  winning  the  day 
with  the  least  sacrifice  of  his  own  men;  there  was  no  trace  of 
anxiety,  no  doubt,  upon  that  tranquil  face,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
the  look  was  that  of  a  man  self-poised,  self-contained,  conscious 


16  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

of  all  that  was  passing  in  every  part  of  the  field,  and  through  all 
the  varying  fortunes  of  the  struggle,  confident  of  the  victory  at 
last  achieved. 

The  men,  reassured  by  their  leader's  serenity,  felt  that  he 
was  the  man  for  the  hour,  and  could  be  observed  scanning  eag 
erly  their  general's  face,  as  if  to  read  in  its  quiet  lines  those  plans 
which  wrought  success.  Then  and  there  could  it  be  seen  how 
it  is  that  a  real  leader  of  men  can  so  fire  the  hearts  of  his  soldiers 
with  his  own  enthusiasm  as  to  make  heroes  of  the  humblest. 

After  the  establisment  of  the  Union  army  at  Murfreesboro, 
no  general  movement  occurred  until  the  24th  of  June,  1863, 
when  the  march  upon  Tullahoma  was  begun.  Recurring  to  this 
long  period  in  camp,  some  incidents  may  be  worthy  of  mention 
as  characteristic  of  the  soldier's  life.  .On  Tuesday,  January  13, 
1863,  quarters  were  finally  and  comfortably  settled;  and,  to  cel- 
ebrate the  occasion,  the  74th  gave  that  night  a  grand  ball,  to 
which  its  friends  in  the  brigade  were  invited.  There  were  two 
violins,  Corporal  Du  Foe,  of  Co.  A,  being  the  leader,  and  "call- 
ing off."  The  floor  of  the  ball  room  was  a  smooth  plot  of  hard 
clay  ground,  without  grass,  and  its  roof  was  rather  elevated,  be- 
ing the  blue,  cloudless  sky  of  Tennessee.  The  lights  were 
candles,  held  aloft  by  wall-flower  spectators,  and  the  toute  en- 
semble, if  not  brilliant  was  at  least  picturesque.  Not  a  shred  of 
calico  enlivened  the  scene — not  a  woman  was  present  ;  but  this 
difficulty  was  overcome  by  tying  handkerchiefs  upon  the  arms  of 
those  who  acted  the  part  of  ladies,  which  honorable  badge  en- 
titled the  wearer  to  the  usual  attentions  bestowed  on  the  gentler 
sex.  The  dancing  was  kept  up  vigorously  to  a  late  hour,  and 
was  much  enjoyed  as  a  pleasing  break  in  the  daily  and  mono- 
tonous routine. 

Among  other  happenings  of  this  period  you  will  recall  one 
day  when  a  real,  live  woman  rode  through  camp,  and  her  appear- 
ance was  greeted  with  a  polite  waving  of  hats  and  shouts  of  re 
spectful  surprise,  salutations  which  she  acknowledged  with  bows 
and  a  pleased  smile.  Every  Sunday  there  was  an  inspection  of 
arms,  accoutrements  and  quarters,  and  occasionally  divine  ser- 
vice. 

Foraging  expeditions  and  picket  duty  were  of  frequent  oc- 
currence, and  we  often  had  brushes,  more  or  less  serious,  with 
the  enemy's  cavalry.  Of  these,  one  of  the  most  notable  was  the 


SEVENTY- FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  17 

march  to  Franklin  and  occupation  of  that  town,  January  30  to 
February  2,  1863,  made  necessary  by  a  raid  of  rebel  cavalry  in 
force,  who  were  undertaking  to  destroy  the  railroad  to  Nashville. 
You  will  remember  the  rapid  march  in  the  rain,  the  occupation 
of  the  village,  our  encampment  on  the  fair  grounds,  and  the 
bivouac  in  Floral  Hall.  You  will  remember  the  resistance  of 
the  enemy,  the  short  engagement  and  the  foe's  retreat.  One 
event  of  that  expedition,  as  we  were  on  the  march  to  Franklin, 
is  fresh  in  my  memory.  You  will  recall  how  continuous  was  the 
rain  and  how  dark  the  nights,  and  also  that  the  enemy's  cavalry 
was  constantly  in  front,  requiring  the  utmost  vigilance  on  the 
part  of  our  pickets. 

One  of  those  nights — so  dark  that,  as  the  boys  used  to  say, 
chalk  would  make  a  black  mark  on  a  darkey's  face — it  became 
my  duty,  with  Lieut.  John  F.  Squier,  of  Co.  C,  (now  at  rest  un- 
der the  violets)  to  be  at  the  outposts,  or  lines  of  the  grand 
guard.  At  about  8  o'clock  we  set  out  from  the  fires  of  the  picket 
reserve  to  relieve  the  sentinels  posted  on  a  line  some  forty  rods 
in  advance.  Accompanied  by  a  corporal  and  several  men  we 
had  already  relieved  two  of  the  outposts,  and  were  advancing 
slowly,  through  briars  and  cornstalks,  toward  the  third,  occupied 
by  two  of  our  men,  when  we  were  startled  by  hearing  the  tramp- 
ing of  many  approaching  feet  among  the  stalks  of  a  corn-field  in 
our  front.  Expecting  no  friend  from  that  quarter  we  halted,  the 
men  cocking  their  guns,  prepared  to  receive  the  enemy  who  con- 
tinued steadily  to  advance.  Soon  came  the  clear  challenge  of 
one  of  our  sentinels,  "Who  goes  there?"  This  was  followed  by 
the  silence  of  death,  for  we,  as  well  as  the  foe,  had  come  to  a 
stand.  The  men  crouched  down,  their  pieces  at  the  shoulder, 
ready  to  fire  at  the  word.  Nothing  could  be  seen  three  yards 
ahead.  It  was  the  calm  which  precedes  the  storm  of  death. 
Soon  the  sentinel  challenged  again;  and  this  time,  breaking  the 
oppressive  silence  like  silvery  music  to  our  expectant  ears,  came 
the  tremulous  answer,  "Three  cullud  boys."  The  order  to  ad- 
vance was  given  them,  and  then,  emerging  from  the  gloom,  came 
three  terror-stricken  darkies — young  men.  On  being  question- 
ed, one  of  them,  the  least  terrified,  stated  that  they  were  only 
out  for  a  little  spree,  a  dance  among  the  colored  folks  on  a 
neighboring  plantation,  and,  thrusting  forward  his  head  for  in- 
spection, said,  "If  you  don't  believe  we  are  cullud  boys,  hyars 


18 

de  wool."  Such  a  certificate  of  loyalty  was  irresistible.  Being 
assured  that  they  would  surfer  no  harm,  they  were  marched  back 
to  the  picket  fire,  by  the  light  of  which  it  was  seen  that  our 
"spoils  of  war"  comprised,  beside  the  three  darkies,  some  desir- 
able supplies,  among  which  were  a  quart  of  peach  brandy,  a  large 
cup  cake,  and  a  dude's  cane.  Of  course,  they  could  not  be  per- 
mitted to  pass  through  our  lines,  but  were  allowed  to  return, 
through  the  pickets,  to  their  homes,  a  privilege  for  which,  after 
the  fright  they  had  undergone,  they  were  so  grateful  that  they 
insisted  on  our  accepting  the  brandy  and  cake,  whereof  the  men 
partook  with  much  satisfaction. 

In  addition  to  the  war  material  already  enumerated  as 
secured  by  this  capture,  one  of  our  men  picked  up,  at  daylight 
the  next  morning,  a  carpet  bag  dropped  by  the  contrabands, 
the  contents  of  which  were  several  pounds  of  link  sausage,  two 
pairs  of  white  stockings — nearly  long  enough  to  cover  a  man  to 
the  shoulders,  a  pair  of  bullet  moulds,  a  lot  of  biscuit  and 
boiled  ham,  a  cake  dish,  lamp  mat,  quilt  patches  and  an  elabo- 
rately embroidered  night  cap.  Singularly  enough  no  account 
of  this  exploit  appears  in  the  official  reports  of  the  commanding 
General  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

And  now  a  word  regarding  picket,  or  grand  guard,  along 
the  line  of  Stone  River,  by  way  of  showing  how  difficult  it  was 
to  catch  "  Old  Rosy  "  napping  : 

The  entire  front  of  the  army  was  picketed  by  the  grand 
guard,  to  which  duty  detachments  of  two  companies,  by  turn, 
were  assigned  from  each  regiment.  The  greater  portion  of  the 
companies  on  duty  held  a  reserve  station,  frequently  some  miles 
in  advance  of  the  fortifications,  where  the  army  was  encamped. 
In  front  of  this  station,  one-fourth  of  a  mile,  were  two  outposts, 
occupied  by  details  from  either  company,  and  still  further  in 
front  of  each  outpost,  about  forty  rods  (and  often  within  speak- 
ing distance  of  the  enemies  pickets)  were  four  sentinels  ranged 
in  a  line — eight  men  in  all — posted  in  hail  of  each  other,  cover- 
ing completely  the  front.  At  each  of  the  outposts,  behind  the 
foremost  pickets,  were  stationed  four  men  and  a  non-commis- 
sioned officer,  upon  whom  the  sentinels  were  to  rally  in  case  of 
an  attack  in  force  by  the  enemy;  and  in  the  same  event,  senti- 
nels and  outposts  alike  were  to  rally  upon  the  reserve  of  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  19 

companies,  under  command  of  their  officers,  at  the  stations, 
where  also  guards  were  constantly  posted. 

The  position  was  a  remarkably  strong  one,  and  not  easily 
surprised,  since  the  advance  pickets  were  usually  posted  along 
the  banks  of  Stone  river,  a  rapid  stream,  flowing  over  a  rocky 
bed,  and  then  not  fordable,  being  at  high  water  mark,  owing  to 
continuous  rains.  The  grand  guard  was  relieved  every  twenty- 
four  hours.  On  February  14,  1863,  Col.  Kerr  rejoined  the  reg- 
iment, having  been  exchanged,  and  at  once  assumed  command, 
Col.  Marsh  at  that  time  being  on  the  sick  list.  On  the  21st  of 
February  the  regiment  escorted  a  forage  train,  to  protect  which 
it  was,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  deployed  in  line  of  battle, 
covering  a  field  where  the  wagons  were  being  loaded  with  corn, 
and  constantly  skirmishing  with  the  enemy's  cavalry,  who  were 
in  force  and  very  active.  On  the  22d  of  February  the  artillery 
of  the  Grand  Army  fired  a  salute  at  sunrise  to  commemorate  the 
anniversary  of  the  birth  of  truthful  George  Washington. 

We  remember  also  the  review  by  Gen.  Rosecrans,  which 
occurred  on  March  28,  when,  formed  upon  three  sides  of  a 
square,  facing  outward,  our  division  was  inspected  by  the  com- 
manding general,  with  McCook  and  Davis.  You  can  see  "Old 
Rosy"  riding  slowly  past,  saluted  and  cheered  as  he  always  was 
by  officers  and  men,  mounted  on  a  powerful  and  handsomely 
caparisoned  gray  horse,  and  pausing  now  and  then  to  say  a  cheer- 
ing word  to  the  boys — a  word  always  valued  and  treasured  up 
in  memory. 

And  then  you  see  him  taking  position,  with  generals  and  a 
brilliant  staff,  at  the  open  end  of  the  square,  while  the  division 
filed  past  presenting  arms,  and  making  a  glowing  picture  of  "all 
the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war."  The  events  of  that 
occupation  of  Murfreesboro  crowd  up  from  a  surging  sea  of 
recollection,  so  many  and  so  striking  that  we  can  enumerate  but 
a  few  of  them.  You  will  recall  one  gray  dawn,  May  25,  1863, 
when  the  74th  was  picketing  the  Shelbyville  pike,  that  an  open 
light  wagon,  drawn  by  two  horses,  came  up  to  our  outposts,  in 
the  back  seat  of  which  was  sitting  a  grave,  clerical-looking  man 
in  civilian's  clothes,  who  silently  and  curiously  surveyed  a  scene 
in  which  he  seemed  to  have  no  personal  interest.  This  was 
Clement  L.  Vallandigham,  about  to  be  sent,  under  order  of  the 
President,  into  the  rebel  lines.  After  a  short  conference  with 


20  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

the  officer  commanding  the  outposts,  those  having  the  prisoner 
in  charge  drove  rapidly  down  the  pike,  past  our  videttes,  and, 
in  a  few  moments,  delivered  Mr.  Vallandigham  to  the  rebel 
pickets,  who,  having  been  notified  of  his  coming,  were  in  wait- 
ing for  the  event.  We  can  remember,  also,  the  advent  of  the 
Schicker  Bros.,  in  April,  1863,  when  first,  after  many  months, 
soft  bread  was  put  under  our  teeth.  And,  (I  had  almost  forgot- 
ten to  speak  of  it),  you  can  hear  even  now  the  yell  with  which 
the  74th  broke  camp,  on  the  morning  of  June  24th,  1863,  to 
commence  that  campaign  of  incessant  march,  battle  and  skir- 
mish, Which  culminated  in  the  fierce  struggle  of  Sept.  19th  and 
20th,  on  the  line  of  the  Chicamauga,  and  the  occupation  of 
Chattanooga  by  the  Union  forces. 

We  recall  'the  pleasant  camp  at  Winchester,  in  portions  of 
July  and  August,  1863,  where  the  blackberries  so  abounded. 
How,  at  that  pretty  village,  the  6th  of  August,  which  the  Presi- 
dent had  proclaimed  as  a  fast  day,  was  observed,  when,  by  or- 
der of  Gen.  McCook,  the  troops,  wearing  side-arms  only,  and 
every  man  in  his  best,  assembled  at  10  a.  m.  in  a  beautiful  grove, 
situate  in  a  picturesque  little  glen  about  a  mile  from  the  town, 
where  a  celebration  of  the  day,  partly  religious,  partly  martial, 
and  partly  otherwise,  was  held.  There  was  a  prayer,  singing  of 
hymns,  the  music  of  brass  bands,  and,  to  cap  all,  speeches, 
without  which  no  Yankee  seems  to  think  any  public  observance 
complete.  Gen.  McCook  was  called  out,  but  though  one  of 
the  bravest,  he  was  also  one  of  the  most  diffident  of  men,  and 
acknowledged  the  courtesy  by  complimenting  the  troops,  in  a 
few  words,  on  their  appearance  and  their  general  look  of  busi- 
ness. Of  course  the  boys  raised  a  shout  for  Gen.  Jeff.  C.  Davis, 
commanding  our  division,  to  which  that  fiery  gentleman  re- 
sponded by  some  very  flattering  remarks  in  review  of  the  past 
and  honorable  career  of  his  command,  concluding  by  saying: 
"Well  boys,  I  can't  say  much  to  you  here,  but  when  we're  before 
Chattanooga,  and  I'm  on  Charley's  back,  I  will  make  you  a 
speech."  Arid  we  all  knew  what  kind  of  a  speech  to  expect 
from  him,-  when,  mounted  upon  his  dark  bay  horse,  he  rode  along 
our  front  as  the  lines  were  formed  for  battle.  Among  other 
events  of  the  camp  at  Winchester  was  a  minstrel  show,  impro- 
vised by  several  musical  members  of  the  brigade,  and  which, 
after  proper  advertising,  occurred  on  the  night  of  Aug.  13,  1863. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  21 

The  exhibition  took  place  in  an  enclosure,  nearly  or  quite 
the  size  of  this  Floral  Hall,  which  was  formed  by  a  fence  of  tree 
branches  so  high  as  to  exclude  unauthorized  intrusion,  and  so 
dense  as  to  hide  what  passed  within  from  the  sight  of  prying  out- 
siders who  did  not  possess  the  postal  currency  charged  for  ad- 
mission. As  a  further  precaution  the  management  posted 
guards  all  around  the  festive  hall.  The  enclosed  ground  sloped 
to  the  stage,  and  seats  for  the  audience  were  formed  by  rails, 
whose  ends  rested  upon  logs.  The  boys  showed  much  taste  in 
the  erection  of  a  stage,  which  was  well  floored  with  smooth 
boards,  and  roofed  with  fresh,  leaf  covered  boughs.  For  a  back- 
ground they  had  managed  to  get — Heaven  only  knows  where — 
a  painted  stage  scene.  The  whole  was  well  lighted,  and  not- 
withstanding the  absence  of  ladies,  the  scene  was  quite  a  joyous 
and  striking  one.  The  excellent  band  of  the  25th  Illinois  served 
as  orchestra,  and  enlivened  the  intervals  between  acts  with  their 
proverbially  fine  playing. 

The  opening  act  consisted  of  tumbling — the  usual  circus 
business — and  the  performers,  arrayed  in  the  gorgeous  spangled 
tights  of  the  profession,  were  really  first-class  acrobats.  Not 
even  the  inevitable  clown  was  wanting,  and  that  worthy  added 
much  to  the  amusement  by  a  shower  of  original  and  appropriate 
jokes,  after  the  manner  of  his  kind.  Then  followed  the  usual 
choruses,  ballads,  comic  songs,  clog  and  fancy  dancing — in  fact, 
the  full  program  of  a  first-class  troupe.  There  were  in  the  aud- 
ience probably  not  less  than  700  men,  and  there  was  no  more 
disorder  than  is  seen  at  the  most  fashionable  gathering  at  our 
opera  house,  a  fact  going  to  substantiate  the  claim  that  the  vol- 
unteer armies  of  the  north,  while  made  up  of  boys  who  enjoyed 
honest  fun,  were  largely  constituted  of  true  gentlemen. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  August  10th,  1863,  Gen. 
Rosecrans  reviewed  all  the  troops  then  concentrated  at  Win- 
chester. Qn  Monday,  the  17th  of  August,  the  army  moved. 
After  short  marches  during  that  and  the  next  three  days,  the 
Seventy-Fourth  went  into  camp  at  Stephenson,  Ala.,  and  there 
remained  until  the  30th  of  August,  on  which  day  camp  was 
broken,  the  march  resumed,  and  at  4:30  p.  m.,  pontoons  having 
been  laid,  the  Tennessee  was  crossed.  After  several  marches, 
with  picket  duty  and  light  skirmishing,  the  brigade  reached  Valley 
Head,  Ala.,  a  position  it  had  been  designated  to  occupy  and  hold. 


22  FIRST    REUNION    OF   THE 

Here  the  brigade  of  Col.  Post/  detached  from  the  division,  re- 
mained until  Friday,  Sept.  18,  when  it  moved  toward  Chatta- 
nooga, over  the  mountains,  escorting  the  supply  trains  which 
were  constantly  threatened  by  Wheeler's  cavalry,  with  whom 
frequent  brushes  were  had. 

On  the  20th  of  September  the  command  rested  at  Stevens' 
Gap.  Our  brigade  was  at  this  time  entirely  cut  off  from  the 
rest  of  the  army,  and  in  imminent  danger  of  capture. 

We  had  heard  the  fighting  of  the  19th,  and  could  now  hear 
the  engagement  of  the  20th  raging  in  the  distance;  but  it  was 
not  until  the  22d  of  September  when  the  brigade  fortunately 
made  a  junction  with  the  balance  of  the  division  at  Peavine 
Creek,  that  we  learned  the  story  of  the  defeat  of  our  army  on 
the  bloody  hills  along  the  Chickamauga. 

During  the  ensuing  four  weeks  the  Federal  army  was  en- 
gaged in  the  erection  of  fortifications  to  protect  its  position  at 
Chattanooga.  In  the  interval  some  fighting  occurred,  and  on 
September  24th,  the  74th  and  22d  Indiana  made  a  reconnoisance, 
discovering  the  enemy,  with  whom  a  skirmish  was  had,  very 
strongly  posted,  in  force,  in  the  front  of  Post's  brigade.  Then 
ensued  events  with  dramatic  rapidity.  Oct.  19,  Gen.  Rosecrans 
issued  his  farewell  address  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  on 
the  21st  Gen.  Thomas  assumed  the  command,  and  on  the  23d 
General  Grant  reached  Chattanooga,  now  regularly  invested  by 
the  enemy,  flushed  with  his  recent  success.  From  this  period 
to  the  24th  and  25th  of  November,  when  the  actions  of  Lookout 
and  Mission  Ridge  were  fought,  the  time  was  passed  in  a  re- 
organization of  the  army,  bringing  up  reinforcements  from  the 
armies  of  the  Tennessee  and  Potomac,  and  other  preparations 
for  the  deadly  grapple  so  near  at  hand. 

During  the  investment  of  Chattanooga,  owing  to  precarious 
communication  with  its  base  of  supplies,  the  union  army  sub- 
sisted upon  short  rations,  which  were,  in  proportion  to  full  allow- 
ance as  follows:  of  hard-tack,  bacon,  coffee  and  sugar,  one- 
fourth,  and  of  beef  a  full  ration. 

Allow  me  here  to  recall  an  occurrence,  the  only  one  of  its 
kind  in  that  army,  so  far  as  remembered,  which  made  a  lasting 
impression  on  all  who  witnessed  the  sad  affair.  I  refer  to  the 
execution  of  two  deserters  on  Friday,  Nov.  13,  1863.  Under  the 
new  organization  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  the  74th  was 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT-  23 

now  in  the  first  brigade,  under  Col.  Frank  T.  Sherman  of  the 
88th  Illinois,  and  in  the  2d  division,  commanded  by  Gen.  Phil. 
Sheridan,  of  the  4th  army  corps,  Gen.  Gordon  Grangers.  By 
order  of  the  commanding  general,  this  division,  to  which  the  cul- 
prits had  belonged,  was  formed  under  arms  in  an  open  field, 
forming  three  nearly  equal  sides  of  a  hollow  square,  the  men  in 
two  lines  about  30  feet  apart,  the  two  ranks  facing.  After  the 
formation  was  completed,  the  solemn  cortege  escorting  the  con- 
demned approached,  preceded  by  a  brass  band,  playing  a  dead 
march.  First  came  an  officer  in  charge,  then  the  prisoners — with 
one  of  them  two  Catholic  priests,  with  the  other  a  Protestant 
clergyman;  on  either  side  of  these  two  unfortunates  marched  a 
half  platoon  of  soldiers,  the  executioners.  Bringing  up  the  rear 
were  two  plain  coffins  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  soldiers  with- 
out arms.  One  of  the  prisoners  was  a  young  man,  aged  about 
23,  not  prepossessing  in  looks,  but  serious,  firm,  self-possessed, 
though  not  defiant.  The  other,  a  much  older  man,  apparently 
40,  walked  with  a  bearing  less  assured,  and  a  step  less  steady, 
and  never  once  raised  his  head  to  look  around  him,  as  the  other 
did  at  intervals.  On  the  contrary,  the  older  man's  eyes  were  fix- 
ed on  the  ground,  and  his  whole  attitude  was  that  of  one  stunned 
and  despairing.  Both  were  men  in  vigorous  health,  and  it  was 
no  light  ordeal  for  the  silent  ranks  to  stand  there  seeing  those 
two  marching  slowly,  step  by  step,  around  the  three  sides  of 
that  double  line  of  comrades,  over  the  few  hundred  yards  which 
lay  between  them  and  death — not  the  death  of  honor  on  the  field, 
but  that  meed  of  disgrace  which  the  stern  law  of  war  measures 
out  to  him  who,  in  face  of  the  enemy,  falters  in  duty.  A  scene 
more  silent  and  impressive  could  not  be  imagined.  The  very 
horses  of  the  mounted  officers  stood  like  statues,  awed,  it  seemed, 
as  the  men  were,  into  silence  by  the  low  music,  whose  burden 
seemed  a  wail  of  despair.  In  all  those  serried  ranks  not  a  whisper 
was  heard. 

The  procession  passed  around  to  the  middle  of  the  open  end 
of  the  square  facing  the  troops;  the  coffins  were  placed  side  by 
side  upon  the  ground;  the  prisoners'  eyes  were  bandaged,  and 
then  each  of  them  sat  down  upon  a  long,  rough  box-his  own  coffin. 

Within  the  hollow  square,  and  facing  the  condemned,  a 
platoon  drew  up  and  formed  twelve  paces  in  front  of  the  sitting 
men. 


24  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

The  prisoners'  hands  were  free.  At  this  moment  the  young 
man  unbuttons  his  coat,  and  tearing  open  his  shirt,  exposes  his 
naked  breast  to  the  expected  volley,  then  quietly  drops  his  hands 
behind  him.  At  the  same  time,  the  older  man,  turning  to  the 
facing  platoon,  says.  "Fire  at  my  breast,  boys." 

Meanwhile  both  lines  of  the  brigade  had  faced  inward,  and 
now,  at  a  low  command,  the'  front  rank  kneel  that  those  in  the 
rear  may  see  what  follows.  All  this  occupied  but  a  few  seconds; 
but  in  that  small  interval  those  two  wretches  are  in  darkness, 
awaiting  death. 

At  last  the  officer  in  charge  drops  his  handkerchief.  It  is 
the  signal,  and  the  platoon  fire  as  one  man.  The  condemned 
fall  quickly  beside  their  coffins,  and  what  but  a  moment  before 
was  vigorous  life,  has  become  a  thing,  a  clod,  inert  as  stone. 

Then  the  regiments  march  by  those  two  forms  lying  motion- 
less, each  in  a  pool  of  blood,  and  every  soldier  looks  upon  them 
with  that  eternal  curiosity,  that  silent  and  inquiring  regard,  with 
which  the  living  have  always  viewed  the  dead.  As  this  passes, 
the  band  has  been  playing  another  march  of  the  dead;  but  when 
the  last  regiment  had  filed  slowly  by  it  strikes  up  a  merry  tune, 
taking  some  of  the  weight  from  the  men's  hearts;  and  so,  keep- 
ing time  to  that  cheerful  measure,  all  returned  to  camp. 

On  Nov.  14,  the  regiment  received  from  the  ladies  of  Rock- 
ford  its  new  flag,  destined  to  receive  a  fiery  christening  eleven 
days  after. 

On  the  24th  of  November  Hooker's  men  carried,  by  a  bril- 
liant assault,  the  lower  slopes  of  Lookout,  and  the  morning  of 
the  25th  found  the  entire  position  in  that  part  of  the  field  evac- 
uated by  the  enemy.  On  the  morning  of  the  25th  the  Union 
left,  under  Sherman,  had  made  several  ineffectual  assaults  on 
the  Confederate  right.  This  was  the  position  of  affairs  when, 
at  2:30  p.  m.,  Sheridan's,  Baird's,  and  Wood's  divisions  of 
Granger's  corps,  then  formed  some  80  rods  from  the  enemy's 
skirmishers,  received  the  order  to  move  forward  and  carry  the 
rebel  rifle  pits  at  the  foot  of  the  ridge.  No  other  order  was  given; 
and  all  that  was  expected  was  that  these  divisions  should  hold 
and  occupy  the  enemy's  line  of  advanced  rifle  pits,  behind  which, 
covering  the  slopes  of  the  ridge,  was  a  tangled  mass  of  fallen 
timber,  a  formidable  abattis,  and  on  the  crown  of  the  hill  a  long 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  25 

line  of  Confederate  batteries,  supposed  to  command  the  position 
so  strongly  as  to  defeat  any  possible  assault. 

For  a  few  rods  in  front  of  the  Federals,  as  they  moved  for- 
ward to  the  attack,  was  a  bushy  thicket,  through  which  their 
lines  soon  passed,  and  emerged  upon  open  ground,  extending 
to  the  enemy's  front,  and  in  sight  of  his  skirmishers,  who  at 
once  commenced  firing  rapidly. 

From  this  point  Sheridan's  men  rushed  forward  on  the 
dead  run,  receiving  a  hot  fiire  from  the  enemy's  infantry,  hold- 
ing his  rifle  pits,  and  continuous  volleys  from  his  batteries  on 
the  hill  beyond. 

Meanwhile  the  Federal  artillery  in  the  Union  redoubts  was 
pouring  a  deadly  hail  of  shot  over  the  heads  of  Sheridan's  in- 
fantry, and  doing  good  execution  in  the  enemy's  ranks. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  in  the  telling,  the  rebel  rifle  pits 
were  carried  by  our  men,  and  most  of  their  surviving  occupants 
made  prisoners.  Here  the  troops  paused,  breathless;  but  only 
for  a  few  minutes,  when  Generals  Wood  and  Sheridan,  on  their 
own  motion,  as  was  afterwards  stated,  and  without  direction 
from  their  superior  officers,  gave  the  order  to  storm  the  ridge. 

How  completely  successful  that  assault  was  there  is  little 
need  to  say.  In  that  charge  the  new  flag  of  the  74th  was  borne 
by  Chas.  E.  Allen,  of  Company  E.  He  soon  fell,  struck  by  "a 
minie,  but  the  colors  had  hardly  dropped  from  his  nerveless 
grasp  before  they  were  seized  by  Alba  Miller,  of  Company  C, 
who  carried  them  but  a  short  distance,  when  he,  too,  was  hit 
and  severely  wounded,  and  the  falling  flag  was  grasped  by 
Corporal  Compton,  of  Company  D,  who  soon  after  fell,  mortally 
struck,  about  a  rod  below  the  crest  of  the  ridge.  The  dangerous 
emblem,  which  seemed  to  be  a  favorite  mark  for  the  enemy,  was 
snatched  from  the  hands  of  the  dying  Compton  by  Corporal 
Fred.  Hensey,  of  Company  I,  who  soon  planted  it,  pierced  by 
fiifteen  bullet  holes,  upon  the  rebel  works — the  first  Union  flag 
to  fly  upon  the  hard  won  crest  of  that  hill  of  death. 

In  this  assault,  the  74th  lost  14  killed,  39  wounded,  and  6 
missing.  Of  the  wounded,  several  survived  but  a  short  time. 

Upon  the  events  transpiring  between  December  1st,  1863, 
and  the  first  week  of  May,  1804,  when  Sherman's  campaign 
against  Atlanta  was  begun,  we  cannot  dwell  at  length,  but  must 
be  content  with  brief  mention.  Among  these,  in  which  the  74th 


26  FIRST    REUNION    OF   THE 

took  part,  were  the  expedition  to  Knoxville,  the  occupation  of 
Louden,  near  which  the  regiment  ran  a  mill,  grinding  into  flour 
for  the  army  wheat  gathered  up  in  the  adjacent  country,  and  the 
camp  at  Davis  Ford,  on  the  Little  Tennessee. 

In  this  camp,  where  the  regiment  remained  for  several 
weeks,  they  were  comparatively  remote  from  the  field  which  had 
been  occupied  by  the  contending  armies,  and  in  a  country 
abounding  in  supplies,  readily  obtainable  at  reasonable  prices. 

One  incident  of  that  camp  may  be  recalled.  There  was,  as 
you  remember,  a  mess  of  the  regiment  which  went  under  the 
high-sounding  name  of  "The  Gait  House,"  and  had,  for  cook, 
a  bad  though  enterprising  darkey,  whose  name  is  not  remem- 
bered, but  to  whom  we  may  refer  as  Bill.  Bill  was  an  excellent 
cook,  fruitful  in  the  invention  of  good  dishes  from  a  limited  list 
of  materials,  but  an  incorrigible  thief  and  consistent  liar. 

Among  other  things  which  contributed  to  the  pleasure  of 
life  at  Davis  Ford  was  the  kindness  of  the  family  on  whose  farm 
we  were  encamped;  and  among  other  possessions  in  which  these 
friendly  people  especially  rejoiced,  was  a  large  flock  of  peacocks, 
full  grown  and  elegant  birds.  Knowing  the  weakness  of  Bill's 
flesh,  he  had  been  repeatedly  warned  on  no  account  to  confis- 
cate anything  eatable  on  the  premises.  To  this  injunction  he 
readily  promised  obedience.  Now  it  so  happened  that  Bill,  one 
day  at  breakfast,  gave  out  to  the  mess  that  he  would  serve  them 
for  dinner  such  a  dish  as  would  cause  the  pampered  mouth  of  a 
major  general  to  water.  At  dinner,  the  humble  author  of  this 
screed — owing  to  his  supposed  knowledge  of  anatomy — held  the 
responsible  post  of  carver, 

There,  at  the  table's  head,  fat,  brown  and  inviting,  grace- 
fully trussed  upon  a  large  platter,  and  tastefully  trimmed  with 
sundry  sprigs  of  sweet  herbs,  lay  a  large  fowl  of  unknown  species, 
not  cold,  but  .hot  in  death. 

The  true  condition  of  affairs  was  at  once  suspected,  and  Bill 
was  forthwith  subjected  to  a  searching  line  of  questions.  Being 
pressed,  he  admitted  that  it  was  not  a  goose,  was  quite  sure  it 
was  no  turkey,  and  finally,  to  the  horror  of  the  mess,  owned  up 
that  it  was  a  peacock;  "but,"  said  he,  "gen'lum,  I  cannot  tell  a 
lie;  the  bird  attacked  me,  and  I  had  to  kill  him."  This  explana- 
tion was  accepted,  though  not  without  some  doubt  of  its  truth; 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  27 

the  royal  bird  was  duly  eaten,  and  all  hands  agreed  to  keep  the 
matter  quiet. 

On  May  2,  1864,  the  general  advance  of  the  Union  army 
against  the  reorganized  Confederate  forces  under  Johnston, 
began;  and  this  campaign,  vigorously  pressed,  ended  Sept.  1, 
1864,  with  the  occupation  of  Atlanta  by  Sherman's  troops. 

And  here,  for  a  moment,  let  us  take  a  backward  glance  at 
this  regiment,  which  had  left  Camp  Fuller  940  strong.  A  few 
of  its  morning  reports  still  remain,  and  to  these  we  will  refer. 

On  March  31,  1863,  there  were  present  for  duty  438.  On 
Oct.  5,  1863,  this  had  been  reduced  to  380.  At  Mission  Ridge, 
the  exact  figures  are  not  at  hand,  but  the  regiment  did  not  num- 
ber, in  that  action,  more  than  340  combatants,  of  whom  59,  or 
17  per  cent.,  were  placed  that  day  hors  du  combat. 

On  the  2d  of  May,  1864,  the  regiment  must  have  had  about 
350  effective  men,  field  and  line,  as  many  of  its  wounded  in  the 
actions  of  the  preceding  November  had  recovered  and  rejoined 
the  command.  Of  the  casualties  of  the  Atlanta  campaign  there 
remain  the  following  records  :  May  14  and  15,  at  Resaca,  4  kill- 
ed, 22  wounded;  May  17,  Adairsville,  1  killed,  28  wounded; 
May  31,  Dallas,  5  killed,  7  wounded.  The  total  casualties  from 
May  2,  when  the  regiment  left  Cleveland,  Tenn.,  to  June  11,  at 
Acworth,  Ga.,  comprised  11  killed  and  49  wounded. 

In  this  hasty  record  no  total  list  of  casualties  of  the  cam- 
paign has  been  obtainable;  neither  can  we  dwell  upon  the  many 
stubbornly  contested  engagements  in  which  the  regiment  took 
part.  Among  them  was  the  hot  action  at  Reseca,  in  which  our 
friend,  Thos.  W.  Cole,  of  Co.  D,  our  marshal  to-day,  lost  his 
arm.  We  come  at  last  to  that  mad  assault  of  June  27th,  at 
Kenesaw,  where  the  regiment  met  the  severest  loss  in  its  history, 
going  into  the  fight  with  201  men,  and  coming  out  with  138,  a 
loss  of  31  per  cent,  Of  that  action  the  following  account  has 
been  preserved  : 

HEADQUARTERS  74TH  ILL.  VOL.  INFANTRY,  \ 
Near  MARIETTA,  June  28,  1864.       j 

WM.  LATHROP,  Rockford,  111. — Dear  Sir:  For  the  inform- 
ation of  those  having  friends  in  the  regiment,  I  transmit  the  fol- 
lowing report  of  casualties  occurring  yesterday,  the  27th  inst.,  in 
an  assault  made  by  our  division  on  the  enemy's  works. 


28  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

(Here  follows  list,  omitted  because  of  its  great  length.) 
Killed,  12;  wounded,  38;  missing,  13.  Total,  63. 

Of  those  enumerated  as  wounded,  3  are  missing,  and  sup- 
posed to  be  in  the  enemy's  hands. 

Our  brigade  moved  out  of  its  works  yesterday  morning  at  9 
o'clock.  The  regiment  was  formed  in  column  by  divisions — 
that  is,  in  five  divisions,  each  being  constituted  of  two  companies. 
These  divisions,  in  this  formation,  made  the  front  occupied  by 
the  regiment,  only  that  of  two  companies. 

This  proved  in  the  end  a  disadvantage,  as  it  did  not  enable 
all  of  the  men  to  use  their  arms,  those  in  the  rear  fearing  to  fire, 
lest  they  might  hit  their  comrades  in  front.  The  skirmish  line, 
behind  which  we  were  formed,  advanced  slowly,  engaging  the 
rebels,  who  made  a  stubborn  resistance,  but  finally,  about  9:30 
a.  m.,  fell  back  to  their  main  line  of  works,  taking  refuge  in  the 
outside  ditches.  The  enemy's  fortifications  were  at  the  foot  of 
the  Kenesaw  slope,  in  the  timber  at  the  edge  of  an  open  field, 
and  comprised  a  heavy  line  of  earth-works,  bristling  with  bat- 
teries, so  arranged  as  to  enfilade  our  forces,  while  in  front  was  a 
formidable  abattis.  Having  driven  the  skirmish  line,  our  men 
halted  and  formed  in  a  ravine  30  rods  from  the  rebel  line.  Mean- 
while the  two  skirmish  lines  were  incessantly  engaged,  the  enemy, 
firing  from  their  ditches,  suffering  much  less  than  our  men. 
This  was  the  position  of  affairs  when  the  order  was  given  to 
charge. 

The  men,  who  were  lying  on  their  arms,  rose  and  rushed  for- 
ward, firing  rapidly  and  with  loud  shouts  upon  the  rebel  intrench- 
ments.  At  once  the  enemy  received  our  advancing  columns 
(now  in  plain  sight  to  them  in  the  open  space  comprising  the 
few  rods  of  distance  between  the  lines)  with  a  murderous  fire  of 
musketry,  while  their  artillery  poured  in  a  shower  of  grape  and 
canister  at  the  short  range  of  ten  rods,  and  in  some  instances 
even  less. 

In  this  rapid  and  impetuous  assault,  requiring  in  action  less 
time  than  suffices  to  tell  the  story,  the  74th  lost  most  of  those 
who  fell  that  day. 

The  rebel  infantry  fled  from  their  works,  which  our  men 
scaled  and  occupied  at  once;  but  the  enemy,  after  a  short  flight 
up  the  slope,  rallied  and  re-formed  his  lines.  In  possession  of 
the  intrenchmeiits  of  their  foes,  our  troops  halted  for  breath  be- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  29 

fore  again  facing  the  tornado  of  lead  and  iron  which  was  being 
poured  upon  them,  not  only  from  the  rallied  forces  in  their  front, 
but  from  a  flanking  fire  on  either  side.  At  this  instant  there  oc- 
curred a  disaster  which  showed  the  men  of  the  1st  brigade  that 
their  attempt  to  hold  this  line  of  works,  carried  at  so  great  a 
sacrifice,  would  be  useless,  for,  looking  to  their  left,  they  could 
see  the  Federal  forces,  comprising  another  brigade  of  our  di- 
vision, rapidly  falling  back.  The  result  of  this  was  immediate 
and  disastrous,  for  our  exposed  left  flank  at  once  became  the 
mark  for  an  incessant  and  galling  fire  from  the  rebel  infantry, 
who,  pressing  swiftly  forward,  were  occupying  the  ground  from 
which  the  Union  left  had  retreated. 

Our  brigade,  obedient  to  the  orders  of  their  few  remaining 
officers,  fell  back  slowly,  preserving  their  lines,  cooly  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  ground  to  make  frequent  halts  and  fire  more  than 
one  Parthian  volley  at  the  rebels.  The  latter  advanced  slowly 
and  without  confidence,  making  easier  the  resistance  of  our  men. 
At  10:30  a.  m.  the  1st  brigade  re-occupied  its  works,  having, 
for  a  full  hour,  been  under  a  fire  more  hot  and  continuous  than 
is  often  seen  in  engagements  of  greater  magnitude. 

In  no  action  in  which  this  regiment  has  participated  has 
there  been  so  large  a  proportion  of  wounds  from  grape  and  can- 
ister, some  of  them  received  not  ten  yards  from  the  rebel  cannon 
— wounds  from  musket  balls  usually  constituting  a  large  majority 
of  casualties.  The  enemy  were  quick  to  take  advantage  of  flank- 
ing our  left,  and  this  accounts  for  so  many  of  our  men  being 
taken  prisoners. 

Col.  Kerr  was  thus  captured,  foremost  in  the  ranks,  and 
wounded.  Yesterday  afternoon  Maj.  Sabin,  of  the  44th  111.,  in 
our  division,  went  out  under  a  white  flag  and  held  a  parley 
with  Lieut.  Col.  Will  H.  Martin,  commanding  the  1st  Arkansas 
infantry,  who  occupied  the  line  in  our  immediate  front. 

Col.  Martin  proved  to  be  a  humane  and  courteous  gentle- 
man, for  he  cheerfully  complied  with  Maj.  Sabin's  request  for  a 
truce  of  picket  firing,  while  the  wounded  were  being  carried  from 
the  field. 

A  rather  singular  scene  was  then  presented,  of  which  the 
ground  between  the  two  armies  was  the  theatre;  and  on  that 
bloody  stage,  rebels  and  Yankees  alike  unarmed,  passed  and  re- 
passed,  carrying  off  their  wounded  comrades,  while  here  and 


BO  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

there,  standing  or  sitting,  were  groups  of  men,  some  in  butter 
nut  and  some  in  blue,  quietly  conversing  about  the  late  action, 
drinking  from  each  other's  canteens  or  lunching  from  each  other's 
haversacks — the  same  men  who  had,  but  a  few  hours  before, 
tested  one  another's  mettle  in  the  deadliest  struggle  of  the  cam- 
paign. 

Yours  respectfully, 

HOSMER  P.    HOLLAND, 
Lieut,  and  Acting  Adjutant. 

After  the  action,  four  men  of  ihe  74th  who  had  been  report- 
ed among  the  missing,  were  found  dead  upon  the  field. 

Under  date  of  June  29,  1864,  I  find  a  memorandum  show- 
ing the  total  casualties  of  the  regiment  from  May  2d  to  June 
29th,  inclusive,  as  follows:  Killed,  39;  wounded,  107;  missing, 
10.  Total,  156. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  the  morning  after  Kenesaw  fight,  the 
74th  .effective  force  comprised  127  enlisted  men  and  11  officers. 
In  that  action  its  four  ranking  Captains  were  killed,  its  only 
field  officer  captured,  and  its  adjutant  wounded.  Its  5th  cap- 
tain assumed  command,  and  two  of  its  companies  were  placed 
in  charge  of  non-commissioned  officers,  while  with  each  of  the 
eight  remaining  companies  there  was  but  one  commissioned 
officer. 

When  it  is  recalled  that  at  Stone  River,  in  which  the  pro- 
portion of  casualties  was  the  greatest  of  any  action  of  the  war 
up  to  the  date  of  its  occurrence,  the  greatest  loss  inflicted  on 
any  portion  of  the  Union  army  was  24  per  cent.,  some  idea  may 
be  formed  of  the  .bloody  character  of  this  assault,  where  the  74th 
had  31  per  cent,  of  its  men  put  out  of  the  fight.  Of  the  fate  of 
Col.  Kerr,  we  learned  a  day  or  two  after  the  action  from  Col. 
Martin,  of  the  1st  Arkansas,  (between  which  rebel  regiment  arid 
our  own  there  was  a  constant  interchange  of  civilities)  that  he 
was  in  the  hospital  at  Atlanta,  where  the  Confederate  surgeons 
who  examined  his  wounds  pronounced  them  not  dangerous. 

We  were  also  informed  that  he  was  in  excellent  spirits,  and 
was  expected  to  speedily  recover.  Our  hopes  were  dashed, 
however,  and  we  sometime  after  learned  that  our  beloved  com- 
mander had  died  at  Atlanta  on  the  third  of  July  following,  his 
wounds,  aggravated  by  the  prevailing  heat,  proving  to  be  mor- 
tal. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  31 

Coming  to  this  point  in  our  story,  we  have  passed  by  many 
engagements  in  which  the  74th  took  part,  among  them,  May 
7th,  at  Tunnel  Hill  ;  May  9th,  at  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  up  whose 
rugged  side,  inaccessible  for  artillery  horses,  the  regiment  haul- 
ed two  Parrott  guns  by  ropes,  and  where  an  all  day's  skirmish 
ensued;  the  occupation  of  Dalton  on  the  13th  of  May;  a  skir- 
mish during  the  entire  afternoon  of  the  16th  of  May,  just  after 
crossing  the  Oostenaula,  and  about  3  miles  south  of  Resaca; 
May  17,  the  action  at  Calhoun;  an  all  day's  skirmish,  at  times 
rather  lively,  on  the  26th  of  May;  May  27th  and  28th,  slow  ad- 
vances and  constant  skirmishes,  and  a  loss  of  several  men,  kill- 
ed and  wounded.  At  8  p.  m.  on  the  29th  of  M^y,  a  hot  engage- 
ment, lasting  an  hour,  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy's  ar- 
tillery, with  his  pickets;  June  1st,  a  skirmish;  June  6th,  an  ad- 
vance as  flankers,  slowly  driving  the  rebel  pickets;  June  15th, 
skirmishing,  forcing  the  enemy's  pickets  back  two  miles;  June 
16,  the  action  at  Lost  Mountain;  June  17th,  an  all  day  skirmish 
and  a  charge  upon  the  enemy's  line  of  rifle  pits,  thrown  up  the 
night  before,  which  our  men  carried  in  fine  style  with  their  usual 
yell,  and  immediately  occupied;  June  18th,  an  all  day  skirmish, 
driving  the  rebels  back  one  mile  into  a  line  of  earthworks  thrown 
up  the  preceding  night.  On  the  19th  of  June  the  74th  had  a 
rest  from  incessant  skirmishing,  the  gallant  old  36th  111.,  being 
in  the  advance  that  day.  On  the  20th,  21st  and  22nd  of  June, 
the  men  were  engaged  in  throwing  up  earthworks,  one  line  after 
another  being  abandoned  as  our  advance  drove  the  enemy  back 
upon  their  main  fortifications  at  Kenesaw.  This  work  was 
prosecuted  under  a  constant  fire  from  the  enemy's  artillery,  and 
in  its  progress  the  regiment  lost  many  killed  and  wounded. 

On  June  23rd  the  74th  moved  out  of  its  works  at  4  p.  m., 
to  support  the  skirmishers  hotly  engaged.  A  brisk  action  en- 
sued, in  which  one  man  was  killed  and  several  wounded. 

The  regiment  was  all  of  that  day  on  the  skirmish  line,  and 
was  not  relieved  until  9  p.  m..  The  25th  and  26th  days  of  June 
were  comparatively  quiet,  the  men  of  either  army  seeming  con- 
tent to  take  a  rest.  Following  quickly  on  the  fruitless  assault 
of  June  27th,  came  those  movements  of  Sherman's,  which,  on 
July  2nd,  resulted  in  the  evacuation  by  Johnston  of  the  strong 
position  of  Kenesaw,  and  the  occupation  by  Sherman's  army  of 
Marietta,  on  July  3d.  Moving  with  the  army  on  the  3d,  the 


32  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

74th  passed  that  night  on  the  picket  lines  and  celebrated  the 
4th  by  a  skirmish,  lasting  the  entire  day,  in  which  7  men  were 
wounded,  two  of  whom  survived  only  until  the  following  day. 
From  this  time  until  the  occupation  of  Atlanta,  the  chapter  is 
one  of  constant  march  and  skirmish  and  battle,  including  Hood's 
fierce  assaults  of  the  20th  and  22nd  of  July,  in  the  first  of  which 
the  74th  were  engaged,  losing  a  number  of  men.  Hood  had 
superseded  Johnston  in  command  of  the  Confederate  forces  July 
17th. 

Reviewing  the  progress  made,  we  find  the  regiment  in  the 
skirmish  at  Vining's  Station,  on  July  5th.  July  9th  a  march  of 
14  miles  was  scored  and  the  Chattahoochee  forded  at  7  p.m., 
after  a  very  hot  day;  the  night  of  the  13th  was  passed  in  throw- 
ing up  earthworks;  on  the  14th  the  regiment  was  engaged  in 
building  a  bridge  at  Power's  Ford,  on  the  Chattahoochie,  to  en- 
able the  artillery  to  be  moved  across  the  river;  on  the  17th  the 
74th  made  a  reconnoisance  about  a  mile  in  advance,  but  did  not 
find  the  enemy;  at  6  a.  m.,  on  the  18th,  the  men  were  on  the 
move,  and  at  8  a.  m.  were  skirmishing  with  the  enemy,  and  so 
continued  in  rather  lively  fashion  for  an  hour.  That  night  we 
bivouaced  but  six  miles  from  Atlanta,  about  which  the  lines  were 
every  day  more  closely  drawn.  On  the  night  of  the  19th,  Peach- 
tree  creek  was  crossed,  and  along  this  stream  were  formed  the 
Federal  lines  which  repulsed  the  fierce  assaults  of  Hood  on  the 
20th  and  22nd.  Soon  after  the  action  of  the  22nd  the  siege  of 
Atlanta  was  fairly  begun,  and  early  in  August  all  communication 
with  the  beleaguered  city,  save  by  the  single  line  of  railway  to 
Macon,  was  completely  cut  off. 

The  lines  of  investment  were  strongly  fortified,  and  outside 
of  them  was  a  line  of  rifle  pits  in  which  a  constant  duel  was  main- 
tained by  our  pickets  with  those  of  the  enemy.  In  addition,  the 
artillery  of  both  armies  threw  shell,  at  intervals,  both  day  and 
night,  making  it  necessary  to  maintain  a  constant  vigilance.  An 
incident  of  one  of  those  nights,  when  a  detachment  of  the  74th 
were  holding  a  line  of  rifle-pits,  is  worthy  of  mention. 

Among  the  party  was  Capt.  Cronemiller,  of  Co.  "I,"  a  man 
of  muscle,  who  erstwhile  had  exercised  his  arm  as  a  blacksmith. 
The  night  was  a  fine  one,  and  the  pickets  in  both  lines  had,  by 
tacit  agreement,  ceased  firing.  A  rebel  battery  in  our  front  was 
throwing  over  an  occasional  shell,  but  none  had  yet  fallen  so 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  33 

near  our  little  group  as  to  be  dangerous.  All  of  the  men  had 
their  arms  in  their  hands,  some  resting  in  a  rifle  pit,  and  some  on 
the  ground  outside. 

Suddenly  we  heard  the  startling  scream  of  a  coming  shell, 
and  in  an  instant  it  struck  the  earth  beside  Capt.  Cronemiller. 
At  once  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  picked  up  the  burning  missile,  and 
drawing  back  a  brawny  right  arm,  hurled  it  as  far  forward  as  his 
strength  would  permit,  then  dropping  full  length  upon  the 
ground,  in  which  position  his  comrades  already  were,  he  await- 
ed the  explosion  which  occurred  before  one  could  count  ten. 
The  flying  pieces  of  iron  hurtled  harmlessly  over  our  heads,  and 
every  man  felt  that  he  owed  his  life  to  Cronemiller's  cool  cour- 
age and  powerful  arm. 

We  will  not  follow  in  detail  the  movements  of  the  regiment 
as  the  siege  progressed,  during  August,  1864.  From  the  30th 
of  Aug.  to  the  3d  of  Sept.  the  division  was  engaged  in  the  move- 
ment to  the  south  of  Atlanta,  which  had  for  its  object  the  de- 
struction of  Hood's  sole  means  of  supply,  the  railway  to  Macon. 
This  expedition  was  completely  successful,  and  resulted  in  the 
evacuation  of  the  city  by  the  Confederate  army  in  the  night  of 
Sept.  1st.  In  these  operations,  after  destroying  several  miles  of 
railway  on  the  1st,  the  division  had  a  hot  engagement  with  the 
enemy  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  at  Jonesboro,  in 
which  the  Confederates  were  completely  defeated,  the  losses  of 
the  day  in  the  74th  numbering  14  wounded  and  missing.  In  ad- 
vancing on  the  following  day,  Sept.  2nd,  the  division  passed 
through  Jonesboro,  and  late  in  the  afternoon,  at  a  point  about  five 
miles  south  of  the  village,  had  another  brush  with  the  enemy, 
who  gave  way,  manifesting  no  desire  for  a  general  engagement. 

On  the  8th  of  Sept.,  1864,  the  division  rejoined  the  army  at 
Atlanta,  reoccupying  the  camp  held  by  it,  on  the  lines  of  invest- 
ment, one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  city.  Here  the  army  of  the 
Cumberland  remained  in  quarters  until  Sept.  25th,  when  it  was 
transferred  by  rail  to  Chattanooga,  to  meet  the  threatening 
demonstrations  of  Hood,  reaching  that  city  the  following  day  at 
2  p.  m.  On  the  8th  of  Oct.,  the  regiment  was  moved  by  rail  to 
Resaca,  and  on  the  following  day  returned  to  Chattanooga. 
When  near  Red  Clay,  Ga.,  two  cars  of  the  train  were  thrown 
from  the  track,  resulting  in  killing  Asst. -Surgeon  Sam'l  C.  Per- 
son,  and  seriously  wounding  nine  men — five  of  Co.  C.  and  four 


34  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

of  Co.  H.  The  remaining  events  of  1864  must  be  passed  quick- 
ly by.  On  the  31st  of  Oct.  the  division  was  transferred  by  rail- 
road to  Pulaski,  in  West  Tennessee,  from  whence,  on  Nov.  22nd, 
it  was  moved  to  Nashville,  then  threatened  by  Hood.  On  the 
29th  of  Nov.,  at  Spring  Hill;  the  4th  corps  had  a  lively  engage- 
ment with  the  enemy's  cavalry,  driving  the  rebel  force  over  a 
mile.  In  this  action  the  74th  had  one  man  killed  and  three 
wounded.  That  same  day  the  division  moved  to  Franklin,  where 
a  strong  line  of  earth  works  was  immediately  thrown  up.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  following  day,  Nov.  30th,  the  impetuous  Hood 
made  his  attack  on  the  works.  Ten  times  were  his  men  hurled 
furiously  upon  the  lines  of  Thomas,  and  ten  times  were  they  re- 
pulsed with  fearful  slaughter,  many  of  them  being  killed  by 
blows  from  picks  and  shovels  in  the  hands  of  the  Federals. 

Of  the  loss  of  the  regiment  that  day  no  record  has  been 
found.  In  that  action  the  74th  and  88th  Ills,  were  united,  and 
acted  as  one  regiment  under  command  of  Col.  Smith,  of  the 
88th. 

The  next  day  Generals  Thomas  and  Wood  rode  along  the 
line,  and,  halting  in  front  of  the  consolidated  regiments,  Gen. 
Wood  called  forward  Col.  Smith,  and  addressing  him,  said,  "I 
wish,  Colonel,  in  the  presence  of  Gen.  Thomas,  to  repeat — what 
Gen.  Stanley  assured  me  was  true — that  it  is  owing  to  the  bravery 
of  yourself  and  men  that  we  saved  the  army  at  Franklin."  In  ef- 
fect, by  his  tacit  assent,  this  was  praise  from  "  Old  Pap  Thomas," 
— and  higher  praise  no  man  could  ask  for.  On  the  15th  and 
16th  of  Dec.,  1864.  were  fought  the  battles  at  Nashville,  result- 
ing in  the  complete  defeat  of  Hood,  and  his  rapid  retreat  out  of 
Tennessee,  pursued  by  the  forces  of  Thomas.  In  both  of  these 
actions  the  74th  took  part  with  honor.  On  the  16th,  as  you  will 
remember,  Gen.  Post,  our  old  brigade  commander,  was  wound- 
ed, as  then  supposed,  fatally.  The  chronicler  has  found  no  data 
on  which  to  estimate  the  strength  of  the  regiment  at  the  end  of 
1864,  but  it  appears  that,  on  Dec.  3d  of  that  year,  twelve  days 
before  the  actions  at  Nashville,  it  mustered  126  muskets. 

We  may  close  the  chapter  for  1864,  and  turning  to  1865  we 
find  the  regiment  in  winter  quarters,  in  January,  at  Huntsville, 
Ala.  February  and  March  passed  with  some  movements,  but  no 
general  engagements,  by  the  army  of  the  Cumberland  ;  and  in 
the  latter  month  Thomas  was  concentrating  his  forces  at  Knox- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  35 

ville  and  Chattanooga.  We  come  now  to  the  month  of  April, 
1865,  eventful  as  marking  the  final  scenes  of  the  rapidly  closing 
drama  of  the  slave-holders'  rebellion  ;  the  capture  of  Richmond, 
the  surrender  of  Lee  with  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  his 
farewell  address  to  his  command,  the  order  of  the  Secretary  of 
War  to  stop  all  drafting  and  recruiting,  the  surrender  of  the  re- 
maining rebel  armies,  and  the  death  of  Lincoln. 

These  events  were  succeeded  on  May  29th,  1865,  by  the 
Proclamation  of  Amnesty. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1865,  the  74th,  then  numbering  343 
officers  and  men,  of  whom  some  portion  had  been  recruited  since 
leaving  Camp  Fuller,  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  and  shortly  after  set  out  on  their  return  to  this  city,  where, 
arriving  June  29th,  they  met  a  hearty  public  reception  at  the 
hands  of  the  citizens. 

And  now,  having  said  so  much  for  ourselves,  shall  we  not 
have  some  good  word  to  say  of  those  with  whom  we  crossed 
sword  and  bayonet  on  many  a  hard  fought  field? 

True,  they  differed  from  us  in  opinion  on  that  great  ques- 
tion, there  being  brought  to  issue  in  wager  of  battle;  but  then 
they  had  so  emphatic  a  way  of  enforcing  their  views  upon  our 
attention,  by  arguments  of  cold  steel  and  lead,  as  necessarily  to 
win  our  respect.  You  will  remember  that  in  the  truces,  when 
details  from  either  army  met  to  bury  the  dead  and  carry  off  the 
wounded,  or  on  picket,  when,  within  speaking  distance,  both 
sides  agreed  to  cease  firing,  and,  leaving  their  muskets  in  the 
rifle  pits,  the  boys  met  one  another  half  way,  and,  sitting  to- 
gether, had  a  friendly  talk,  with  exchange  of  newspapers  and 
such  commerce  as  the  barter  of  hard  tack  for  corn  pone — on  such 
occasions,  as  will  be  remembered,  you  used  to  call  them"Rebs, " 
or  "Johnnies,"  while  they  invariably  addressed  you  as  "Yanks." 
In  neither  case  did  the  epithet  give  offense,  for  neither  meant  it 
should.  At  such  times  the  talk  was  lively  and  friendly,  and 
without  animosity,  though  it  included  the  discussion  of  every  po- 
litical subject  which  engrossed  public  attention  in  either  section 
of  the  country. 

Who  that  then  saw  these  men,  one  squad  in  butternut  home- 
spun, the  other  in  Uncle  Sam's  blue,  could  suppose  that  their 
present  business  was  to  kill  one  another?  Can  you  now  not  say  this 
of  those  with  whom  you  contended  for  principle? — that  theyprov- 


36 


FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 


ed  themselves  men,  and  worthy  foemen,  evidencing  the  sincer- 
ity with  which  they  held  their  purpose  by  periling  life  itself  to 
uphold  a  falling  cause  !  And  what  more  shall  we  ask  of  any 
man?  Hailing  them  now,  shall  we  call  them  "Rebs?"  Shall  we 
not,  rather,  salute  them  as  Americans? 


Appended  to  this  paper  is  a  tabular  statement,  compiled 
from  the  reports  of  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  State,  showing 
the  original  strength  of  the  regiment,  and  its  numbers,  includ- 
ing recruits1,  when  mustered  out.  The  full  complement  of  the 
Field  and  Staff,  at  the  outset,  comprised  a  Surgeon,  Ass't-Sur- 
geon  and  Chaplain.  These  officers  were  not  present  when  the 
regiment  was  mustered  in,  but  being  subsequently  mustered, 
soon  after  joined  the  command. 

They,  consequently,  with  some  enlisted  men  sick  in  hospital, 
or  absent  for  other  reasons  on  muster  day,  are  shown  on  the  offi- 
cial rolls  as  recruits. 

Among  those  included  in  the  enumeration  "mustered  out 
June  10th,  1865,"  are  several  men,  who  three  days  before,  had 
been  assigned  to  the  36th  Ills.:  and,  under  the  same  head,  are 
included  a  few,  who,  either  being  on  detached  service,  prisoners, 
or  from  sickness,  could  not  be  present  on  the  10th,  at  Nashville, 
and,  therefore,  were  not  in  fact  discharged  from  service  until  the 
latter  part  of  June,  1865.  HOSMER  P.  HOLLAND. 

ABSTRACT    OF    MUSTER    ROLLS    OF    74TH    ILL.     INFANTRY. 


Mustered  in  Sept.  4,  '62. 


Mustr'dout  J'ne  10'  65 


Organization. 

Officers. 

S3 
3J 

• 

5 

o 
H 

Recruits 

B 

i 

~sx 

< 

Officers. 

a 

• 
I 

"5 
1 

Field   Staff     

5 

3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 
3 

6 
84 
91 
90 
99 
88 
84 
95 
94 
80 
95 

5 
6 

87 
94 
93 
102 
91 
87 
98 
1)7 
83 
98 

6 

5 
1 

1 
19 
5 
1 
1 
3 
5 
7 
6 

11 

6 
92 
95 
94 
121 
96 
88 
99 
100 
88 
105 
6 

7 

2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 

6 
31 
31 
37 
45 
26 
21 
39 
20 
24 
32 
4 

7 
6 
33 
33 
39 
47 
28 
23 
41 
22 
26 
34 
4 

N.  C.  Staff  

Company  A  

B  

C  

D  

"         E  

F  

G  

"         H  

I  

K  

Recruits  unassigned  

Totals  .. 

35 

906 

941 

GOllOOl 

27 

316 

343 

SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  87 

NOTE.  During  the  foregoing  recital,  and  upon  concluding 
that  portion  of  the  narrative  which  undertakes  to  describe  the 
part  taken  by  the  regiment  in  the  action  at  Mission  Ridge,  the 
writer  halted  in  his  task,  and  addressing  General  Post,  present 
in  the  audience,  referred  to  the  generally  accepted  theory  that 
this  assault  was  one  of  those  exceptional  cases  where  the  men, 
as  the  saying  is,  "took  the  bits  in  their  own  mouths," — that  is, 
acted  on  impulse,  and  unconscious  of  orders,  if  any  there  were, 
— and  asked  that  officer  for  any  information  within  his  knowledge 
as  to  the  origin  of  the  order  to  carry  the  heights  by  storm. 

In  reply,  Gen.  Post,  in  substance,  made  the  following  state- 
ment of  the  facts,  as  he  was  informed  of  them  soon  after  the  ac- 
tion : 

That  no  order  for  a  general  assault  of  the  position  was,  so 
far  as  the  record  shows,  issued  by  Gen.  Grant,  who,  at  the  time, 
was  at  Orchard  Knob;  that  Gen.  Grant  believed  (as  Bragg 
claimed)  that  the  position  was  unassailable  by  a  direct  charge; 
that  when,  after  the  rifle  pits  were  carried,  he  saw  Sheridan's 
men  scrambling  up  the  slope,  he  expressed  both  amazement  and 
anxiety  at  what  he  regarded  as  a  hare-brained  attempt  which 
could  only  result  in  the  utter  rout,  with  heavy  loss,  of  Granger's 
corps;  that  he  at  once  sent  orders  for  the  men  to  be  recalled, 
and  to  resume  their  position  in  the  captured  line  of  rifle  pits  at 
the  Ridge's  foot;  that  before  the  order  could  be  delivered  to 
Sheridan  his  men  were  already  more  than  half  way  up  the  slope; 
and  that,  on  receiving  the  order  from  the  officer  who  presented 
it  to  him,  the  impetuous  Phil,  said:  "Very  well;  there  the  boys 
are,  and  they  seem  to  be  getting  along ;  stop  them  if  you  can ; 
I  can't  stop  them  until  they  get  to  the  top." 

It  will  also  be  remembered  that  Gen.  Sheridan  was  with 
our  brigade  during  the  entire  action;  and  it  is  doubtless  the 
truth  of  history  that  he,  with  Gen.  Wood,  and  perhaps  also 
Baird,  was  among  the  few  General  officers  present  who  believed 
that  the  attempt  was  likely  to  succeed;  and  so  believing,  he  per- 
sonally cheered  on  his  troops,  who,  breaking  the  solid  center  of 
Bragg's  lines,  forced  the  entire  Confederate  army  to  retreat  in 
confusion.  H.  P.  H. 

Sergeant  Edward  Black,  of  Co.  A,  who  was  present  for  duty 
everyday  during  the  regiment's  entire  term  of  service,  and  who 
is  remarkable  for  a  memory  unusually  exact  and  retentive  of  de- 


38  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

tails,  after  narrating  to  me  the  incident  mentioned  below,  at 
my  request  reduced  the  same  to  writing,  and  it  is  herewith  ap- 
pended. H.  P.  H. 

ROCKFORD,  Sept.  4,  1883. 

MR.  HOLLAND:  My  recollection  of  what  occurred  after  the 
rifle  pits,  at  the  foot  of  Mission  Ridge,  were  carried,  is  very  dis- 
tinct. 

As  we  reached  the  ditch  the  men  took  shelter  there,  their 
rebel  occupants  dropping  their  guns  and  falling  to  our  rear, 
prisoners. 

Our  division  commander,  Gen.  Phil.  Sheridan,  rode  rapidly 
down  the  line,  and  reaching  the  right  of  our  regiment  shouted: 
"On,  men,  on!  Forward,  boys,  forward!  We  can  go  the  top!" 

He  was  waving  his  hat  in  one  hand,  his  sword  in  the  other, 
and  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

Passing  from  the  right  to  the  left  of  our  regiment  he  noticed 
an  old  road  leading  up  the  hill  and  through  the  ditches. 

Reining  in  his  galloping  horse,  he  drove  rapidly  up  the  slope 
shouting,  "Come  on,  boys!  Give  them  HELL!  We  will  carry 
the  Ridge!" 

Thus  he  rode  along  the  side  of  the  hill,  up  and  down  the 
lines,  encouraging  the  men,  and  seeming  to  inspire  them  with  his 
own  resistless  energy,  for,  answering  his  shouts  with  their  old, 
familiar  yell,  the  division  followed  their  daring  leader  over  fallen 
timber  and  through  the  storm  of  missiles,  up  the  rugged  hillside. 

At  one  point  Sheridan  halted  for  a  moment  while  some  of 
the  men — myself  among  the  number — moved  aside  a  heavy  tree- 
top  which  obstructed  the  gallant  rider's  progress.  Col.  Good- 
ing,  of  the  22nd  Ind.,  who  was  near  at  hand,  turned  to  the  Gen- 
eral and  implored  him  to  dismount,  when  he  answered,  "No, 
Colonel,  the  Confederacy  has  never  cast  the  bullet  that  will  in- 
jure me." 

The  only  other  officers  whom  I  saw  riding  up  the  Ridge  were 
Adjutant  McArthur,  of  the  24th  Wisconsin,  in  our  division, 
(afterwards  Lieut-Colonel  of  that  regiment,  and  known  as  "The 
Boy  Colonel")  and  our  own  commander,  the  brave  Marsh,  who 
rode  until  his  horse  was  killed  under  him,  and  then  kept  on  his 
upward  course,  until  he  fell  severely  wounded.  There  was  also 
one  of  Sheridan's  orderlies  who  rode  up  the  Ridge  following  his 
chief.  EDWARD  BLACK. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  39 

AFTERNOON. 

During  the  noon  hour  the  comrades,  with  their  families  and 
friends,  dined  in  picnic  style  from  well  filled  lunch  baskets,  on 
the  Fair  Grounds. 

At  one  o'clock  the  boys  fell  in  and  marched  to  the  court 
house.  The  band,  militia  and  Grand  Army  had  already  formed 
in  line  in  front  of  the  county  building,  and  at  about  1:30  p.  m. 
the  procession  moved  as  follows: 

Thomas  W.  Cole,  marshal  and  J.  H.  Nye,  aide,  mounted. 

Forest  City  Band,  sixteen  pieces,  A.  Dedrickson,  leader. 

Rockford   Rifles,  fifteen  men,  Capt.   T.   G.    Lawler   and  Lieut. 

Leland. 

Rockford  City  Grays,  thirty-two  men,  Capt.  Fred.  C.  Pierce. 
G.    L.    Nevius  Post  No.   1,   G.  A.  R.,  seventy-five  men,  under 

command  of  J.  B.  Nash  and  S.  N.  Jones. 

Veterans  of  the  old  74th,  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  under  com- 
mand of  Lieut.  John  Beatson. 

The  line  of  march  was  to  Kishwaukee  Street,  thence  back 
on  State  to  the  Fair  Grounds.  Mr.  H.  P.  Holland,  to  whom 
the  duty  had  been  assigned,  presided  at  the  speaker's  stand,  and 
opened  the  proceedings  by  exclaiming,  "Attention,  battalion." 
He  then  said:  "Now,  with  your  permission,  I  will  assume  com- 
mand of  this  regiment;  and  I  consider  it  an  honor,  for  there  are 
here  more  than  the  Morning  Report  showed  present,  effective, 
the  day  after  Kenesaw,  more  than  went  into  the  fight  at  Frank- 
lin, or  into  either  action  of  the  two  days'  fight  at  Nashville. 

Music  by  the  band. 

Mr.  Holland  read  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Vanhorne,  ex- 
cusing himself  from  acting  as  Chaplain  because  of  unavoidable 
absence,  and  then  submitted,  on  the  part  of  his  comrades,  a  res- 
olution thanking  the  Winnebago  County  Agricultural  Society 
for  the  use  of  its  buildings  and  grounds  for  this  Reunion.  This 
was  adopted  by  unanimous  vote;  and  after  "America"  had  been 
sung  by  the  quartette  present,  Mr.  Holland  introduced  Hon. 
Alfred  Taggart,  Mayor  of  the  city,  who  said : 

ADDRESS  OF  MAYOR  TAGGART. 

Gentlemen  of  the  old  J4th  Volunteer  Infantry: 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1862,  there  was  organized  in  this 
city,  mainly  of  young  men  from  Winnebago  County,  a  regiment 


40  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

of  soldiers — the  74th  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  It  was  not  an 
organization  of  holiday  soldiers.  The  country  was  already  en- 
gaged in  a  gigantic  civil  war,  a  war  commenced  without  reason, 
and  prosecuted  with  a  bitterness  hardly  paralleled,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  disrupting  and  breaking  up  a  united  and  prosperous 
country.  It  was  to  engage  in  such  a  war  that  this  regiment  was 
organized,  and  the  intense  earnestness  of  these  men,  as  with  up- 
lifted hand  they  were  mustered  into  the  military  service  of  the 
United  States,  showed  that  each  and  every  one  realized  to  the 
fullest  extent  the  dangers  and  hardships  he  would  be  called  upon 
to  undergo  in  taking  part  in  such  a  struggle. 

Remaining  in  camp  for  a  few  days,  marching  orders  were 
received,  and  on  the  28th  day  of  September  you,  men  of  the  old 
Seventy-fourth,  moved  for  the  front  to  actively  engage  in  the 
work  you  had  undertaken.  On  that  occasion  the  people  of  our 
city  and  county  came  out  to  greet  you  and  cheer  you  on,  and 
our  people  solemnly  promised  you,  that  come  what  should,  they 
would  not  forget  you,  or  cease  to  watch  over  you  and  yours  in 
all  your  trials. 

And  Rockford  forgot  not  her  promise.  Eagerly  and  earnest- 
ly did  her  people  watch  after  you  from  your  going  out,  until, 
with  ranks  terribly  thinned  by  the  dire  carnage  of  battle,  you 
returned  to  them. 

They  saw  you  and  watched  you  at  Stone  River  and  at 
Chicamauga.  They  remembered  you  when  at  Mission  Ridge. 

They  did  not  forget  you  at  Buzzard  Roost,  or  at  Resaca. 

They  remembered  you  in  that  fruitless  attempt  to  storm  the 
rebel  works  at  Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  sorely  grieved  over  your 
terrible  losses ;  and  yet  again  they  remembered  you,  when  at 
Jonesboro,  at  Franklin,  and  at  Nashville. 

And  now,  after  eighteen  years  of  peaceful  pursuits,  you  come 
together  for  the  first  time  in  reunion.  You  are  not  forgotten ; 
but,  ever  mindful  of  our  promise,  we  come  again  to  greet  you 
and  bid  you  welcome. 

And  to  the  old  soldiers  of  other  commands,  and  all  others 
meeting  and  joining  with  the  old  Seventy-fourth  in  this  their 
joyous  first  reunion,  the  city  of  Rockford  gives  greeting  and 
hearty  welcome. 

Rising  to  present  the  first  brigade  commander  of  the  regi- 
ment, Mr.  Holland  then  said: 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  41 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  anything 
by  way  of  introducing  Gen.  Phillip  Sidney  Post  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Seventy-fourth  who  first  met  him  at  Louisville.  To 
their  friends  here  present  it  may  be  said  that  General,  then  Col- 
onel Post,  was  the  commanding  officer  of  the  Fifty-ninth  Illinois 
infantry,  and  with  his  regiment  had  recently  come  in  from  the 
Kentucky  campaign,  where  he  had  done  distinguished  service. 
Under  the  mode  of  organizing  Buell's  army,  then  in  process  of 
formation,  brigades  were  made  up  from  two  veteran  regiments 
and  two  regiments  of  the  new  levies.  Under  this  plan  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth, happily  for  them  as  it  proved,  were  assigned  to  Col. 
Post's  brigade,  and  so  remained  for  a  year,  receiving  at  his  hands 
the  discipline  and  instruction  which  made  them  effective.  In 
fact,  this  regiment  graduated  under  him.  They  learned  how  to 
be  soldiers,  and  are  indebted  to  him  for  it ;  and  I  don't  think 
there  is  a  man  here  to-day  but  what  will  agree  with  me  in  that 
respect.  General  Post  never  trifled  with  his  men;  and  when  he 
was  handling  his  brigade,  on  the  march  or  at  the  front,  they  be- 
lieved that  their  commander  knew  what  he  was  about,  and 
meant  business. 

Gen.  Post  then  came  forward  and  said : 

ADDRESS    BY    GENERAL    P.     SIDNEY    POST. 

When  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  be  present  on  this  occasion 
and  make  some  remarks,  I  did  not  expect  to  deliver  an  address; 
and  when  the  program  for  this  day  reached  me  my  position  on 
it  was  a  surprise.  My  engagements  seemed  to  render  it  impos- 
sible to  prepare  an  address  worthy  of  the  regiment  or  the  oc- 
casion, but  I  felt  that  the  Seventy-fourth  had  so  often  responded 
to  my  calls  that  it  was  my  duty  to  respond  to  theirs. 

I  am  delighted  with  this  beautiful  and  thriving  city.  Resi- 
dents appear  to  look  upon  it  as  they  do  upon  the  blue 
heaven  above,  and  think  no  more  of  it  than  they  do  of  the  air 
they  breathe,  but  it  strikes  a  stranger  with  wonder  and  delight. 
I  thank  you  for  your  cordial  reception.  It  is  not  often  that  a 
regiment  of  friends  meets  one  at  the  depot,  much  less  a  regiment 
of  veterans. 

I  am  happy  to  again  meet  my  comrades  of  the  Seventy- 
fourth,  and  grateful  to  them  for  remembering  me  on  their  twenty- 
first  anniversary. 


42  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

The  regiment  is  now  of  age.  My  connection  with  it  began 
when  it  was  but  a  month  old,  and  it  was  the  liveliest  and  most 
belligerent  infant  I  ever  knew. 

Infants  generally  waste  a  great  deal  of  time  and  energy  in 
trying  to  swallow  their  big  toe,  this  one  at  once  commenced  on 
salt  meat  and  hard  tack. 

It  was  at  the  darkest  period  of  the  war,  in  1862,  that  the 
Seventy-fourth  crossed  the  Ohio  river.  The  Union  armies  held 
little  in  the  south  except  a  few  garrisons,  and  Confederate  armies 
menaced  the  north  along  the  whole  line.  In  Kentucky,  one 
army  threatened  Cincinnati  and  another  Louisville. 

In  May  of  1862  the  Union  forces  occupied  Northern  Missis- 
sippi and  Alabama,  but  in  August  Bragg  crossed  the  Tennessee 
river.  The  two  hostile  armies,  in  one  of  the  most  memorable 
marches  on  record,  side  by  side,  hastened  north,  first  to  Nash- 
ville, then  to  Louisville.  The  enemy  had  transferred  the  theatre 
of  war  from  the  south  bank  of  the  Tennessee  to  the  south  bank 
of  the  Ohio ;  and  by  such  rapid  marches  that  neither  army  was 
able  to  catch  its  breath  in  time  to  do  much  fighting.  The  gar- 
risons left  behind  had  weakened  our  force  until  in  fact  it  was  too 
weak  to  attack;  but  our  friends  had  not  been  idle.  At  Louis- 
ville we  found  supplies,  and  what  was  of  the  utmost  importance, 
reinforcements.  The  army  was  reorganized,  and  to  my  brigade 
were  attached  two  of  as  gallant  regiments  as  ever  rallied  round 
a  flag,  the  Seventy-fourth  and  Seventy-fifth  Illinois. 

No  more  patriotic,  brave  and  high-spirited  men  ever  came 
to  the  front  in  any  cause,  or  in  any  country ;  but  to  the  require- 
ments of  camp  life,  in  an  active  campaign,  most  of  them  were 
strangers.  I  shall  never  forget  the  first  night  we  marched  out  of 
Louisville.  Few  events  of  the  war  caused  me  greater  anxiety 
or  made  a  more  profound  impression  upon  me.  We  had  march- 
ed late  at  night,  went  into  camp  in  the  dark,  and  the  men  should 
have  taken  their  supper  and  at  once  gone  to  sleep,  ready  for  a 
movement  before  daybreak;  but  everything  was  new,  and  it  was 
long  after  midnight  before  the  camp  quieted  down,  many,  I  fear, 
going  without  supper.  I  went  among  the  men,  and  sent  ex- 
perienced soldiers  to  advise  them,  and  worried  a  great  deal  more 
for  them  than  they  seemed  to  worry  for  themselves;  but  I  knew 
unfed  and  unrested  soldiers  meant  soldiers  unable  to  bear  the 
fatigue  of  the  next  day's  movement,  meant  the  increase  of  sick- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  43 

ness,  and  the  decrease  of  men  present  for  duty — and  within  a 
month  of  that  time  you  all  knew  it,  too.  The  Seventy-fourth 
learned  to  get  to  bed  when  we  camped,  and  to  get  into  line  when 
called  for,  as  quick  as  any  regiment  of  men  ever  did  in  any  war; 
and  the  necessities  of  actual  war  require  that  things  should  some- 
times move  lively. 

After  tedious  marches  and  counter-marches,  in  sunshine  and 
storm,  for  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  in  Kentucky  in  Octo- 
ber of  that  year,  we  went  into  camp  at  Nashville,  but  not  to  rest, 
for  it  was  necessary  that  the  brigade  should  be  able,  as  a  brigade, 
to  act  together  and  execute  any  tactical  movement  known  in  the 
evolutions  of  the  line.  Citizens  who  suppose  a  military  camp 
to  be  a  place  of  idleness,  a  place  where  men  eat  and  wait  until 
the  fighting  commences,  are  mistaken — at  least,  such  was 
not  our  camp.  Drill,  preparation,  instruction,  kept  every  man 
employed.  In  the  evening  at  my  tent  the  field  officers  collected 
as  a  school  for  instruction  in  the  evolutions  of  the  line.  There 
were  regimental  schools  and  squad  and  company  drills,  followed 
by  brigade  drills,  the  first  systematic  brigade  drill  attempted  in 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  as  I  have  been  informed,  in 
the  United  States  Army.  The  old  army  is  always  so  scattered 
that  there  are  seldom  more  than  a  few  companies  together,  and 
a  brigade  drill  was  as  much  of  a  curiosity  to  the  old  army  of- 
ficers as  it  was  to  the  new  recruits.  In  the  earlier  period  of 
the  war  we  had  reviews  by  brigade,  but  no  drill.  Our  brigade 
drill  attracted  much  attention,  and  was  frequently  witnessed  by 
the  Commander-in-Chief  and  his  corps  and  division  command- 
ers, while  we  were  unconscious  that  we  were  observed  by  those 
distinguished  officers.  It  was  no  child's  play,  and  was  calculated 
to  provoke  maledictions  rather  than  enthusiasm  of  the  men  en- 
gaged in  it ;  but  when  called  to  act  in  concert  in  the  hurry  and 
confusion  of  battle  it  was  understood  and  appreciated. 

When  in  the  midst  of  the  battle  of  Stone  River  we  were  com- 
pelled to  change  front  to  the  rear,  we  did  it  without  hurry  or  con- 
fusion; and  the  brigade  forced  its  way  through  the  enemy's  line 
after  the  battle  of  Chicamauga,  safely  and  triumphantly  into 
Chattanooga,  because  of  the  precision  of  its  movements  and  the 
promptness  in  obeying  orders.  With  a  less  disciplined  command 
no  officer  would  have  dared  make  the  attempt. 

I  have  had  an  opportunity  since  that  time  to  see  all  the  best 


44  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

armies  of  Europe;  and  while,  in  strictness  of  etiquette  and  all 
the  fuss  and  feathers  which  delight  a  martinet  in  time  of  peace, 
they  greatly  excel  American  soldiers,  yet  I  never  saw  a  brigade 
which  could  compare  in  tactical  movements  with  the  first  brigade, 
first  division,  twentieth  army  corps,  in  1862  and  1863,  of  which 
the  Seventy-fourth  regiment  formed  a  part. 

My  name  was  never  on  the  muster  roll  of  that  regiment,  but 
I  belong  to  it.  My  military  history  is  intimately  connected  with 
it.  I  am  proud  of  its  services,  of  its  peerless  record,  and  I  am 
proud  to  know  that  I  was  remembered  in  this  celebration  of  its 
twenty-first  anniversary. 

Years,  eventful  years,  have  passed  since  we  were  associated 
together.  Infants,  then  in  their  mother's  arms,  are  now  voters 
in  this  republic.  No  wonder  that  faces  among  you,  once  so 
familiar,  are  hard  to  recognize.  Years  have  silvered  locks  then 
dark,  and  care  has  changed  countenances  which  then  glowed  with 
patriotic  fervor  and  all  the  enthusiasm  of  early  manhood.  Nor 
would  it  be  strange  if  you  failed  to  identify  the  slight  and  youth- 
ful officer,  who  was  your  brigade  commander,  with  the  fat  old 
duffer  who  now  addresses  you.  And  yet  it  seems  to  me  that  if 
you  had  not  appeared  in  such  questionable  shape,  if  you  had 
come  in  your  old-time  garb,  and  without  the  disguise  of  years,  I 
could  have  recognized  you  all. 

There  was  Col.  Marsh,  whose  patriotic  impulses  led  him  to 
the  field  of  hardships  at  an  age  when  most  men  would  have  pre- 
ferred the  quiet  retreats  of  peace.  There  was  Lieut.  Col.  Kerr, 
brave,  active,  efficient.  He  left  all  that  a  man  holds  dear  to 
fight  his  country's  battles,  and  never  returned.  I  loved  him  like 
a  brother,  and  mourned  his  glorious  but  untimely  fall.  There 
were  a  thousand  men  who  went  forth  to  make  a  glorious  history 
for  their  country  and  made  a  glorious  history  for  themselves. 
Their  services  are  emblazoned  upon  their  country's  record, 
and  their  memories  should  be  kept  ever  green  by  their  comrades 
and  their  countrymen. 

The  grand  record  of  American  soldiers  of  this  generation 
will  never  be  forgotten,  but,  unfortunately,  the  record  of  separ- 
ate organizations  has  received  but  slight  attention-  Men  were 
too  busy  making  history  to  write  it,  or  even  to  furnish  the  data 
from  which  it  could  be  written.  Turn  to  the  report  of  the  Ad- 
jutant General  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  you  find  a  page  head- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  '45 

ed  "History  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Infantry."  Under  this  im- 
posing manifesto  what  is  to  be  found?  Three  short  paragraphs, 
showing  that  it  was  mustered  in  and  that  it  was  mustered  out; 
that  it  arrived  at  Louisville,  marched  in  my  brigade,  and  arrived 
at  Nashville  in  November,  186'2.  After  the  regiment  actually 
commenced  its  active  life  and  its  important  services,  there  is  not 
one  word.  It  is  as  though,  when  you  became  disciplined  sol- 
diers, an  excessive  spasm  of  modesty  seized  you  and  prevented 
you  from  acknowledging  the  great  deeds  you  performed.  Your 
regiment,  and  every  regiment,  ought  to  have  had  its  historian, 
not  to  write  eulogies,  but  to  preserve  its  daily  record — the  data 
upon  which  history  could  be  written. 

An  honest  record,  which  should  give  every  man  of  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth regiment  his  just  dues  would  fill  a  volume;  but  in  the 
Adjutant  General's  report  it  occupies  three  paragraphs  on  a  page 
almost  blank.  There  is  not  one  word  of  Stone  River,  nor  of 
the  Tullahoma  campaign,  nor  of  the  Chicamauga  and  Atlanta 
campaigns,  not  a  word  of  Franklin  or  Nashville.  It  is  a  history 
of  a  regiment  with  all  its  battles  and  campaigns  omitted.  It  is 
as  though  a  biography  of  a  great  and  celebrated  man  had  been 
commenced  with  an  elaborate  account  of  his  birth  and  parentage, 
of  his  measles,  woooping-cough,  chicken-pox  and  mumps,  and 
how  he  went  out  into  the  world,  and  then,  without  a  reference 
to  his  long  and  active  life,  proceeded  to  give  an  account  of  his 
second  childhood,  and  the  resignation  with  which  he  died. 

If  you  turn  to  "The  Patriotism  of  Illinois,"  you  will  find 
something  more  of  the  history  of  the  Seventy-fourth,  but  all  too 
meagre  to  be  of  great  value  in  writing  history.  The  author  says: 
"After  the  army  had  returned  to  Danville,  the  Seventy-fourth, 
together  with  the  Twenty-second  Indiana,  and  a  section  of  the 
Fifth  Wisconsin  battery,  was  sent  back  on  a  forced  march  about 
thirty  miles  in  the  direction  of  Richmond,  Ky.,  beyond  Lowell, 
on  a  secret  and  fruitless  expedition,  the  object  of  which  remains 
unknown."  This  expedition  was  by  no  means  fruitless.  Its  ob- 
ject was  to  prevent  a  large  force  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  from  de- 
stroying our  trains  and  magazines  of  stores.  These  two  regi- 
ments and  battery  at  the  bridge,  which  that  cavalry  intended  to 
cross,  prevented  a  destructive  raid,  which  might  have  seriously 
interfered  with  the  march  of  the  army. 

To  persons  who  have  never  been  soldiers  it  were  manifestly 


46  FIRST    REUNION    OF   THE 

impossible,  in  a  short  address,  to  give  any  just  idea  of  a  cam- 
paign. They  would  naturally  suppose  a  soldier's  duties  to  be 
marching,  fighting,  or  waiting  to  fight,  without  any  considera- 
tion of  the  details,  of  the  hard  work  necessary  to  be  performed 
to  keep  an  army  in  motion.  Let  me  describe  a  few  days  of  ac- 
tive campaign,  not  merely  to  show  the  uninitiated  what  sort  of 
service  devolves  upon  a  soldier,  but  to  remind  the  members  of 
the  Seventy-fourth  of  scenes  in  which  they  were  the  actors.  We 
crossed  the  Tennessee  river,  made  the  laborious  march  over 
Sand  Mountain,  and  went  into  camp  at  Valley  Head  on  the  fourth 
day  of  September,  just  twenty  years  ago  to-day.  On  the  east  of 
us  rose  Lookout  Mountain,  twenty-two  hundred  feet,  nearly 
half  a  mile  perpendicularly  around  us,  and  a  steep  road,  two 
miles  long,  wound  up  its  side.  The  regiments  of  the  brigade 
were  stationed  at  several  points  to  guard  against  surprise,  and 
the  Twentieth  army  corps  and  the  cavalry  began  the  ascent  of 
the  mountain.  Upon  us  devolved  the  onerous  and  important 
duty  of  moving  all  the  trains  to  the  front.  With  details  of  men 
stationed  along  the  hill  to  help  pull  up  the  wagons,  the  trains 
commenced  moving.  All  day  long  and  all  night  long  on  the 
10th,  llth  and  12th,  men  and  animals  tugged  at  trains,  and  kept 
them  going  up.  The  road  was  difficult,  the  nights  very  dark, 
but  the  train  moved  steadily  on. 

Scouts  reported  that  a  force  of  Confederate  cavalry  had  gone 
to  our  rear,  where  a  large  cavalry  supply  train  was  crossing  Sand 
Mountain.  The  Seventy-fifth  Illinois  was  sent  at  once  to  protect 
it,  making  a  march  of  twenty-eight  miles  in  twenty  hours,  half 
of  the  way  in  the  night  and  over  a  rough  road.  The  sick  and 
disabled  accumulated  until  they  numbered  hundreds,  and  a  tem- 
porary hospital  had  to  be  provided  and  transportation  furnished 
for  them  back  to  Stevenson.  On  the  morning  of  the  18th  our 
own  ammunition  train  and  battery  was  sent  up  the  mountain. 
The  enemy  had  disappeared  from  that  valley,  and  we  judged  they 
must  be  concentrating  somewhere,  and  I  was  unwilling  to  cheat 
my  brigade  out  of  a  fair  share  of  the  fight.  We  pushed  on  until 
midnight,  having  marched  twenty-three  miles  after  climbing  the 
mountain.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  received  a  dispatch 
from  the  Commander-in-Chief  directing  us  to  hasten  to  Stevens 
Gap  and  hold  it  all  hazards.  There  was  no  need  to  hasten;  we 
were  already  there.  From  this  rocky  eminence,  more  than  two 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  47 

thousand  feet  above  the  valley,  could  be  seen  seventy-five  thous- 
and of  the  enemy  concentrating  for  the  destruction  of  our  army. 
Anticipating  the  next  order,  guides  were  provided,  and  the  train 
moved  out  on  an  old  road  running  along  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain toward  Chattanooga.  At  four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
20th,  the  order  came.  It  was  from  Garfield,  chief  of  staff,  and 
when  I  met  him  in  1880,  at  Chicago,  his  first  exclamation  was, 
"Do  you  remember  the  order  I  sent  you  from  the  battle-field  at 
Chicamauga?"  The  message  read,  "We  are  holding  ourground; 
move  forward  to  the  battle  field." 

Down  into  the  very  jaws  of  the  lion  we  descended — the  four 
regiments  and  our  artillery  and  ammunition  train — but  the  large 
train  of  supplies  did  not  descend;  it  kept  on  the  mountain  crest, 
and  moved  direct  to  Chattanooga. 

I  state  this  particularly,  because,  in  a  recent  letter  detailing 
a  conversation  with  Garfield  on  that  Sunday,  Rosecrans  shows 
that  at  that  time  he  supposed  we  were  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy's 
lines,  hampered  with  a  great  and  valuable  train.  We  were  in 
the  rear  of  the  enemy,  but  we  were  stripped  for  the  fight,  without 
a  useless  wheel,  and  fully  determined  to  take  care  of  ourselves. 
Cannonading  at  our  front,  and  attacks  upon  our  front  and  flank, 
warned  us  of  our  critical  position.  A  large  force  of  the  enemy 
had  been  sent  down  the  Ringgold  road  to  capture  us,  but  our 
heavy  skirmish  line  met  them  boldly,  and  caused  them  to  halt 
and  go  into  line  of  battle;  and  while  the  skirmishers  were  en- 
gaged our  column  turned  on  a  road  to  the  left  and  pushed  on, 
followed  by  our  skirmishers,  leaving  the  enemy  in  the  rear. 

At  one  o'clock  on  that  eventful  Sunday,  we  came  into  Craw- 
fish Springs.  Mitchell  was  there  with  the  cavalry.  I  told  him 
we  were  three  thousand  strong,  fresh  from  the  mountains,  and 
ready  for  the  fight,  and  proposed  a  united  attack  on  the  rear  of 
the  enemy.  What  would  have  been  the  effect  of  such  an  assault 
at  that  critical  period  of  the  battle  we  can  never  know,  for  Mit- 
chell concluded  that,  as  we  had  nearly  all  the  cavalry  of  the 
army,  he  could  not  run  the  risk,  but  must  make  his  way  round 
the  flank  of  the  enemy  into  Chattanooga.  On  Tuesday  we  came 
in  sight  of  Chattanooga,  where  the  rest  of  the  army  had  concen- 
trated Monday,  but  the  road  leading  there  was  in  possession  of 
the  enemy,  with  artillery  in  position  to  resist  our  progress;  and  it 
seemed  after  all  as  though  it  might  be  necessary  to  throw  our 


48  FIRST    REUNION    OF   THE 

guns  into  the  Tennessee,  and  make  the  best  of  our  way  down  the 
river  to  Bridgeport;  -but  before  doing  that  we  wished  to  put  our 
ammunition  where  it  would  do  the  most  good.  From  the  side 
of  Lookout  Mountain  our  artillery  poured  down  shot  and  shell 
at  the  rate  of  fifty  a  minute.  The  enemy  did  not  seem  to  relish 
the  gift;  in  fact,  they  showed  an  unmistakable  desire  to  avoid  it 
by  seeking  the  shelter  of  the  wood.  Instantly  our  regiments 
were  following  in  line  of  battle;  the  road  was  clear,  the  battery 
limbered  up  and  galloped  toward  Chattanooga,  while  the  regi- 
ments, as  if  on  parade,  manoeuvred  so  as  constantly  to  threaten 
the  enemy,  and  protect  the  road,  while  steadily  advancing  in  the 
same  direction.  The  last  regiment  crossed  the  bridge  over  Chat- 
tanooga Creek,  and  the  bridge  was  set  on  fire;  and  on  the  banks 
of  that  creek,  a  mile  in  front  of  our  lines,  we  took  our  position 
for  the  defense  of  Chattanooga. 

In  my  official  report  I  had  occasion  to  specially  mention 
Sergeant  Charles  Allen,  of  the  Seventy-fourth  regiment  as  hav- 
ing displayed  much  tact  and  gallantry  in  the  performance  of  a 
delicate  and  important  duty  At  the  time  it  would  have  been 
most  improper  to  state  that  the  special  services  were  no  less  than 
going  in  the  night  to  the  enemy's  lines  and  securing  information 
as  to  their  position  and  movements.  The  information  was  absol- 
utely necessary  for  our  safety,  but  it  was  a  duty  upon  which  no 
one  could  be  ordered;  it  was  a  duty  in  which  one  was  in  danger 
from  friend  and  foe,  and  if  captured  by  the  enemy  his  life  would 
have  been  forfeited,  and  who  would  have  saved  his  name  from 
disgrace?  I  would.  Had  he  been  captured,  nothing  would  have 
prevented  me  from  declaring  that  he  gave  his  life  for  the  safety 
of  his  comrades  and  the  cause  of  his  country. 

In  this  sketch  of  a  few  September  days  twenty  years  ago,  I 
have  endeavored  to  show  that  a  variety  of  duties  devolved  upon 
an  American  soldier.  Ours  was  not  a  war  waged  as  wars  are 
waged  in  modern  Europe,  with  the  mayors  of  cities  and  civil  gov- 
ernors to  act  as  commissaries  and  quartermasters,  bound  to  sup- 
ply food  and  lodging  to  the  soldiers  of  either  army  which  come 
within  their  jurisdiction ;  nor  was  it  a  war  in  which  bridges  and 
railways  were  considered  as  of  greater  importance  than  the  suc- 
cess of  the  cause.  In  the  Franco-German  war  one  pier  of  the 
bridge  across  the  Rhine  was  blown  up,  and  it  was  denounced 
throughout  Europe  as  vandalism.  No  wonder  that  in  Europe 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  49 

they  thought  ours  was  a  contest  between  mobs.  But  we  demon- 
strated that  if  we  had  the  wit  to  destroy  a  bridge  when  it  would 
embarrass  the  enemy,  we  had  the  genius  to  create  one  when  we 
wanted  to  use  it  ourselves.  So  little  has  this  been  thought  of 
that  our  own  military  writers  have  never  given  the  extraordinary 
engineering  skill  shown  in  our  war  the  prominence  it  deserves. 

When  the  army  moved  from  Washington,  the  bridge  across 
the  Rappahanock  river,  625  feet  long  and  35  feet  high  was  built 
in  forty  hours;  and  the  Potomac  bridge  at  Acquia  creek,  414 
feet  long  and  82  feet  high,  was  built  in  the  same  number  of 
hours.  The  bridge  across  the  Chattahoochie,  780  feet  long  and 
92  feet  high,  was  built  in  four  and  a  half  days.  Thirty-five  and 
a  half  miles  of  railway,  and  455  feet  of  bridging,  destroyed  by 
Hood's  army  in  Georgia,  was  restored  in  thirteen  days.  Has 
this  ever  been  equaled  in  the  annals  of  any  war  in  any  age,  or  on 
any  continent?  The  truth  is  that  the  ranks  of  our  army  were 
filled  with  practical  engineers,  and  the  destruction  of  a  bridge 
which  in  Europe  would  have  taken  years  to  create,  taxed  the 
combined  skill  and  energy  of  our  army  but  a  few  hours.  This 
fact  alone  is  sufficient  to  demonstrate  that  our  army,  rank  and 
file,  was  filled  with  the  most  intelligent  and  practical  soldiery  ever 
marshaled  under  banners. 

The  position  of  the  first  brigade,  first  division,  Twentieth 
army  corps,  was  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  whole  army,  and  it 
naturally  marched  first  in  the  Stone  river  campaign,  and  opened 
that  famous  battle.  At  Nolensville,  on  the  26th  of  December, 
having  driven  the  enemy  before  us  nine  miles,  we  first  encoun- 
tered their  artillery  in  position,  which  opened  upon  the  Seventy- 
fourth  as  it  took  its  place  in  line  on  the  crest  of  a  hill.  Canister 
burst  directly  over  the  heads  of  the  men,  and  the  bullets  in- 
closed therein  swept  the  ground  a  hundred  yards  in  their  rear. 
Instead  of  recoiling  the  regiment  moved  slightly  forward,  and 
again  the  canister  burst  over  their  heads.  The  din  of  the  shells 
was  dreadful,  and,  bursting  so  near  our  heads,  we  were  almost 
deafened,  but  the  deadly  missiles  fell  harmlessly  to  the  rear.  We 
did  not  lose  a  man. 

In  my  first  battle  I  had  learned  that  the  hiss  of  the  bullet 
indicated  danger,  but  had  adopted  the  maxim  when  the  artillery 
opened,  "Go  for  it;"  and  I  still  hold  the  maxim,  though  in  my 
last  battle  it  went  for  me.  On  the  bullet  question  I  surrendered 


50  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

early,  but  it  took  the  whole  war  to  satisfy  me  that  I  was  not 
cannon  proof,  but  I  was  entirely  satisfied;  and  now,  when  artil- 
lery is  fired,  prefer  to  stand  at  the  breach  rather  than  look  into 
the  muzzle. 

Driving  the  enemy  before  us  in  a  cold,  drenching  rain,  we 
moved  on  towards  Murfreesborough,  and  on  the  30th  of  Decem- 
ber the  battle  opened  in  earnest.  On  the  morning  of  the  31st, 
the  enemy  massed  his  troops  and  passed  to  our  right,  scattering 
the  division  sent  to  our  right  rear  to  prevent  it,  and  leaving  us 
exposed  to  a  flank  attack.  We  at  once  changed  front  perpen- 
dicularly to  the  rear  to  receive  them.  It  was  a  magnificent  sight, 
as  in  perfect  order,  they  moved  in  three  lines  down  upon  our 
brigade.  They  were  warmly  welcomed  with  musketry  and  can- 
ister; but,  as  they  outnumbered  us  three  to  one  in  front,  and 
overlapped  us  on  our  right,  threatening  our  rear,  our  position 
was  so  critical  that  it  became  ludicrous,  and  we  bethought  our- 
selves that, 

' '  In  all  the  trade  of  war,  no  feat 

Is  nobler  than  a  brave  retreat. 

***** 

For  those  that  fly  may  fight  again. 

Which  he  can  never  do  that's  slain  ; 

Hence  timely  running  is  no  mean  part 

Of  conduct  in  the  martial  art." 

We  did  not  run.  It  was  the  most  marvellous  thing  ever 
seen.  Thousands  of  men  retreating  before  a  victorious  enemy 
without  hurry  or  confusion ;  and  in  my  report  of  the  battle  I 
said:  "The  deliberation  and  order  with  which  the  Seventy-fourth 
regiment  retired  is  especially  commended."  It  was  a  trying  time, 
and  if  an  official  report  had  permitted  more  of  eulogy,  it  would 
cheerfully  have  been  given. 

In  "The  Patriotism  of  Illinois,"  in  connection  with  the 
Seventy-fourth  Illinois,  the  operations  on  the  right  are  spoken 
of  as  a  disaster.  In  the  interest  of  true  history,  let  me  state 
that  the  commander  of  the  army  was  fully  advised  on  the  30th 
that  the  enemy's  lines  extended  far  to  the  right  of  our  army, 
and  that  our  right  would  be  turned;  and  I  was  informed  before 
we  fired  a  gun  on  that  day,  that  we  were  expected  to  fall  back 
fighting,  so  as  to  allow  the  left  of  our  army  to  be  pushed  for- 
ward into  Murfreesborough.  We  fought  when  victory  was  im- 
possible— defeat  certain;  a  service  most  important  to  the  coun- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  51 

try,   but  which  seldom   receives  proper  appreciation,   either  in 
reports  or  history.    We  were  never  expected  to  hold  our  ground 
with  such  odds  against  us;  and  in  retiring,  as  we  did  after  hold 
ing  the  enemy  in  check,  we  contributed  to  the  general  plan  of 
the  battle. 

The  battle  of  Stone  river  continued,  and  on  the  2d  of  Janu- 
ary we  crossed  Stone  river  to  repel  an  attack  on  the  left  flank. 
The  stream  was  swollen  with  recent  rains  and  cold  as  ice,  but 
the  brigade  plunged  into  it  with  cheers,  and  hurried  forward 
over  the  dead  and  dying,  where  the  steady  roll  of  musketry  told 
the  men  the  fight  was  fiercest.  All  that  stormy  night  the  men 
stood  by  their  arms  without  fires;  the  rain  did  not  discomfort 
them,  for  they  had  been  soaked  in  fording  the  river.  Major 
Dutcher,  of  the  Seventy-fourth,  was  in  charge  of  the  pickets, 
and  dark  as  it  was,  contested  for  the  fields  and  woods  in  our 
front;  and  when  our  pickets  were  driven  in,  our  battery  roared 
forth  its  defiance  and  helped  to  make  night  hideous. 

We  held  our  position  on  the  3d,  the  rain  continuing  in  tor- 
rents, but  in  the  night  word  came  to  me  that  Stone  river  was 
rising,  so  that  we  might  be  isolated,  and  Rosecrans  feared  the 
enemy  might  concentrate  on  us  and  destroy  us.  At  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning  the  battery  was  quietly  drawn  off,  and  at  four 
o'clock  the  men,  in  profound  darkness  and  silence,  withdrew, 
and  again  plunged  into  the  swollen  stream. 

During  the  same  night  the  enemy  withdrew.  Breckenridge 
was  in  command  of  that  portion  of  the  enemy,  and  I  afterwards 
asked  him  why  they  retreated.  He  said,  "We  were  freezing 
and  starving.  Human  nature  could  endure  it  no  longer."  If 
ever  men  came  near  freezing  and  starving  we  did  in  that  mid- 
winter campaign. 

We  had  the  peculiar  and  unusual  honor  to  fight  on  both 
flanks;  as  long  as  the  right  flank  was  in  danger  we  stood  by  it, 
and  when  the  left  was  attacked,  we  went  to  that.  We  twice 
tested  the  temperature,  and  measured  the  depth  of  Stone  river; 
and  when,  in  the  darkness  of  that  morning,  some  soldier,  shiver- 
ing upon  the  bank,  vehemently  issued  an  order  to  dam  the  river, 
I  countermanded  it,  and  told  him  not  to  dam  it,  but  to  wade  it, 
though  I  admitted  it  ought  to  be  bridged. 

At  Stone  river  the  brigade  lost  in  killed,  wounded  and  miss- 
ing 324  men,  of  which  the  Seventy-fourth  lost  eighty-five — a 


U.  OF  ILL  UB. 


52  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

larger  number  than  any  of  the  other  regiments;  and  I  believe 
that  no  regiment  of  the  army  of  the  Cumberland  contributed 
more  to  the  glorious  triumph  of  that  campaign  than  the  regi- 
ment whose  twenty-first  anniversary  we  celebrate. 

I  have  here  briefly  and  imperfectly  sketched  but  a  few  days 
of  your  toil  as  a  protest  against  that  history  which  purports  to 
give  your  years  of  active  service  in  three  paragraphs.  While 
there  are  survivors  of  the  regiment  living,  they  should  meet  and 
fill  up  the  blank  history.  Every  year  this  is  becoming  more 
important  and  less  possible  to  be  accomplished.  The  friends 
and  descendants  of  soldiers  are  increasing,  and  every  one  of 
them  should  know  and  read  of  the  deeds  of  their  hero  ancestors. 
The  rising  generation  should  learn  that  wealth  alone  does  not 
give  power  and  stability  to  a  state.  Wealth  and  luxury  have 
often  destroyed  states — they  never  created  one.  Wealth  is  a 
mere  fungus,  which  attaches  itself  to  a  healthy  nation  to  suck 
from  it  its  life's  blood.  Nations  have  always  been  created  and 
preserved  by  gallant  deeds;  their  strength  and  glory  depend 
alone  upon  the  heroic  spirit  of  their  citizens.  I  use  the  term 
heroic  advisedly  and  in  its  true  sense.  It  is  that  elevation  of 
sentiment,  that  entire  abnegation  of  self  in  the  midst  of  peril, 
that  voluntary  exposure  of  everything  one  holds  dear,  even  life 
itself,  which  converts  a  man  into  a  hero  in  its  first  and  highest 
sense,  and  in  that  sense  no  man  was  ever  proved  to  be  a  hero 
unless  confronted  by  danger. 

A  general  may  be  in  command  of  an  army  and  be  successful 
in  a  battle,  but  he  is  not  the  hero  of  that  battle.  No  battle  ever 
had  a  hero — it  had  heroes,  for  a  hero  is  one  transformed  by  dan- 
ger. It  is  a  personal  honor,  a  distinction  open  alike  to  all  ranks. 
The  private,  pushing  forward  in  the  deadly  assault,  is  no  less  a 
hero  than  the  officer  on  his  charger  at  his  side.  If  the  general 
who  ordered  the  assault  would  share  the  title,  he  must  also 
share  their  danger,  for  as  it  is  acquired  by  exposure  to  death. 
Like  death  it  levels  all  ranks.  Power,  influence,  rank  and  station 
do  not  make  a  hero,  and  no  man  ever  became  a  hero  by  proxy. 
The  success  of  his  soldiers  may  win  fame  for  a  general,  who, 
without  personal  risk,  directed  their  movements,  and  popular 
enthusiasm  may  thoughtlessly  proclaim  him  the  "hero,"  but  it 
only  gives  point  to  the  bitter  sarcasm:  "Soldiers  fight,  and  the 
general  becomes  a  hero."  A  commander  would  plan  in  vain, 
unless  under  him  were  heroes  who  dared  to  execute  his  orders. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  53 

The  loyal  people  of  the  republic,  men  and  women,  whose 
earnest  patriotism  and  constant  encouragement  was  never  with- 
held, contributed  to  the  cause.  Statesmen,  who  proclaimed  and 
eloquently  defended  the  indivisibility  of  the  nation,  contributed 
to  the  cause.  Generals,  whose  thoughtful  care  and  ability  sup- 
plied disciplined  and  marshaled  armies,  contributed  to  the  cause; 
and  soldiers  who  grappled  with  the  foe  contributed  to  the  cause. 
If  it  be  proper  to  assign  peculiar  merit  to  one  class,  when  so  many 
contributed,  the  actors  in  the  bloody  drama  cannot  pass  un- 
marked. They  were  as  patriotic  as  the  most  loyal  citizen.  They 
were  as  eloquent  as  the  most  patriotic  statesman,  for  deeds  are 
more  eloquent  than  words.  To  intelligently  execute  plans 
amidst  the  surprises  ever  occurring  on  the  battle-field,  requires 
as  high  an  order  of  ability  as  in  unopposed  quiet  to  make  them. 
Whatever  others  contributed  they  contributed;  but,  when  the 
crisis  arrived  by  which  the  country  must  be  saved  or  lost,  they 
were  yet  to  furnish  something  more — courageous  action,  profound 
prudence  and  unshaken  fortitude.  To  the  men  with  muskets  in 
their. hands  was  committed  the  task  of  saving  the  country;  and 
these  heroes,  privates  and  officers,  who,  with  steady  nerves  and 
dauntless  intrepidity  in  the  midst  of  all  the  nameless  horrors  of 
the  battle-field,  pressed  home  the  last  argument  of  states,  have 
claims  upon  our  gratitude  second  to  none. 

Looking  over  our  broad  land,  say  whether  her  defenders  are 
entitled  to  gratitude.  Freed  from  domestic  intrigue  and  appre- 
hension of  dissolution,  unlimited  in  credit  and  enjoying  bound- 
less prosperity,  secure  in  the  knowledge  that,  whenever  danger 
threatens,  worthy  sons  of  heroic  sires  will  spring  forward  in  her 
defense,  this  republic  to-day,  on  the  grandest  scale,  illustrates 
the  capacit)'  of  man  for  self-government. 

Comrades  of  the  Seventy-fourth,  the  value  of  your  patriotic 
and  gallant  record  cannot  be  estimated  or  described.  It  is  not 
alone  the  sacrifices  you  made,  and  the  toil  you  endured;  not  alone 
the  cheerfulness  with  which  you  marched,  and  valor  with  which 
you  fought;  not  alone  the  services  you  rendered  in  averting  the 
dismemberment  and  destruction  of  the  republic,—  you,  and  your 
comrades  who  sleep  in  unknown  graves  upon  distant  fields,  have 
furnished  an  example  to  this  generation  and  to  all  future  gener- 
ations which  will  be  a  sacred  legacy;  and  long  after  the  monu- 
ments which  mark  your  resting  places  have  crumbled  to  decay, 


54  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

the  recollection  of  your  glorious  example  and  achievements  will 
stir  the  blood  of  patriotic  men,  and  animate  defenders  of  your 
country. 

END    OF    FIRST    REUNION. 

"Marching  through  Georgia"  was  now  sung  by  the  quartet, 
the  entire  audience  joining  in  chorus,  with  very  pleasing  effect. 

In  the  absence  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Vanhorne,  Dr.  Butler  was 
introduced  by  Mr.  Holland,  who  jokingly  remarked  that  Gen. 
Post,  while  paying  the  regiment  most  flattering  compliments, 
had  omitted  to  refer  to  its  early  and  contimious  piety,  he  there- 
fore left  that  task  to  Dr.  Butler,  who  had  served  as  chaplain 
during  the  war,  and  might,  perhaps,  be  better  qualified  to  speak 
on  that  head. 

The  reverend  Doctor,  as  he  stepped  forward,  was  greeted 
with  a  storm  of  applause.  His  speech  was  full  of  humor  and 
fun.  He  said:  "Mr.  Vanhorne  has  got  out  of  this  thing  to- 
day by  saying  he  had  an  invitation  to  a  funeral,  and  I  wish  they 
had  sent  me  an  invitation  to  marry  some  one,  and  then  I  would 
have  got  out  of  it,  too.  You  have  just  heard  such  a  very  elo- 
quent discourse  from  Gen.  Post  that,  if  you  had  sense  you 
wouldn't  listen  to  anything  else  to-day,  and  the  best  thing  you 
can  do  is  to  let  me  off  (cries  of  "No!  No!!  Go  on).  I  was  an  old 
soldier,  continued  the  Doctor,  but  they  wouldn't  give  me  a 
chance  to  die  for  my  country.  Alluding  to  the  Irish  Brigade, 
the  Doctor  sang  amidst  loud  cheers: 

"  In  1861,  when  the  war  had  first  begun,"  etc. 

Dr.  Butler  then  went  on  to  make  several  humorous  allu- 
sions, all  of  which  were  wittily  applicable  in  some  way  to  the 
74th  regiment,  and  the  occasion.  He  said  that  he  had  heard  it 
remarked  that  these  reunions  were  all  nonsense,  but  he  thought 
quite  different. 

The  old  soldiers  ought  to  get  together,  so  if  they  found  the 
rascally  politicians  going  to  run  the  countrj',  they  could  say. 
"Hold  on,  there,  we  saved  this  country,  and  now  we  are  going 
to  take  care  of  it."  (Loud  cheers.)  He  disapproved  of  war 
though  admitting  that  national  defense  was  necessary,  and  in 
this  conection  he  said: 

"Were  I  king  of  France, 

Or,  what's  better,  Pope  of  Rome, 
I  would  have  no  fighting  men  abroad, 
Nor  weeping  maids  at  home." 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  55 

All  the  world  should  be  at  peace  ; 

Or,  if  kings  must  show  their  might, 
Why,  let  those  that  make  the  quarrels 

Be  the  only  men  to  fight  ! 

Referring  to  the  power  of  nations,  the  reverend  gentleman 
said  that  peoples  are  not  so  much  powerful  according  to  their 
numbers,  as  by  the  spirit  of  liberty  and  justice  that  rules  them. 
He  then  alluded  to  Gen.  Rosecrans'  official  report  of  the  battle 
of  Stone  River,  and  made  a  very  apt  hit  by  quoting  the  general's 
concluding  remarks:  "  I  cannot  but  think  that  this  victory  has 
been  the  gift. of  God — not  to  us,  but  to  God,  belongs  the  honor." 
The  doctor  then  retired  amidst  loud  cheering  and  cries  of  "Go 
on!  Go  on !" 

Mr.  Holland  then  thanked  the  large  audience  for  the  kind- 
ness shown  and  the  welcome  given  to  the  74th.  "  We  thank 
you,  good  friends,"  said  he  in  conclusion,  "  for  your  kindness  in 
turning  out,  and  the  attentions  you  have  bestowed  ;  and  we  shall 
carry  away  in  our  hearts  to-day  the  memory  of  this  greeting  you 
have  given  us  here,  and  the  hearty  and  active  good-will  received 
at  your  hands  in  every  period  of  our  career." 

The  proceedings  then  terminated  with  music  by  the  band. 


Proceedings  Second  Reunion 

September  4fh,  1554,  RocKford,  Illinois 

PRESENT  136. 


BUSINESS   MEETING. 

The  regiment  met  in  Rockford,  Illinois,  at  Grand  Army  Hall, 
and  at  10:30  a.  m.,  was  called  to  order  by  the  Secretary.  The 
President,  Robert  Simpson,  being  temporarily  absent,  A.  J. 
Guilford  was  called  to  the  chair. 

By  unanimous  consent  the  reading  of  the  minutes  of  the 
last  meeting  was  dispensed  with.  Some  discussion  as  to  the 
time  and  place  of  next  meeting  followed,  when  it  was  decided  to 
meet  again  in  Rockford,  on  September  4,  1885. 

The  committee  appointed  at  the  reunion  of  the  year  previous, 
to  draft  a  Constitution  and  By-Laws,  reported;  and  upon  motion 
the  report,  with  some  minor  amendments,  was  adopted.  As 
adopted  it  read  as  follows: 

CONSTITUTION. 

ARTICLE  1.  The  name  and  title  of  this  association  shall  be 
the  "Society  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  Volunteers,"  and 
every  honorably  discharged  soldier  of  that  regiment  may  become 
a  member  of  said  Society. 

ARTICLE  2.  Honorably  discharged  soldiers  of  other  regi- 
ments in  the  Union  service  may  be  elected  honorary  members. 

ARTICLE  3.  The  objects  of  the  society  shall  be  to  gather  up 
and  perpetuate  the  history  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  Volun- 
teers and  its  individual  members,  to  revive  the  old  spirit  of  loy- 
ality  and  patriotism,  and  to  renew  those  friendships  cemented 
by  years  of  common  danger  and  common  glory. 


58  FIRST    REUNION    OF   THE 

ARTICLE  4.  To  effect  these  objects  the  Society  shall  be  or- 
ganized by  the  election  of  a  President,  ten  Vice  Presidents,  one 
from  each  company,  a  Secretary  and  a  Treasurer,  each  to  serve 
one  year  or  until  his  succesor  is  chosen.  The  time  and  place 
of  each  meeting  shall  be  fixed  by  vote  at  each  meeting  of  the  So- 
ciety; and  during  the  interim  its  affairs  sfiall  be  managed  by  the 
President,  Vice  Presidents,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  acting  as 
an  executive  committee. 

BY-LAWS. 

1.  Any  honorably  discharged  soldier  of    the  Seventy-fourth 
Illinois  Volunteers  will  become  a  member  of   this  Society  upon 
signing  the  Constitution  and  By- Laws,  or  by  sending  to  the  Sec- 
retary his  name  and  address. 

2.  The  Treasurer  shall  pay  out  moneys  only  upon  the  written 
order  of  the  Secretary  and  President;  and  at  each  meeting  of  the 
Society  shall  make  a  written  report  of  all  receipts  and  disburse- 
ments. 

3.  No  member  of  the  Society  shall  speak  more  than  once,  nor 
longer  than  five  minutes,  upon  any  question  of  business  without 
the  consent  of  the  Society  first  obtained. 

4.  Cushing's  Manual  shall  be  the  authority  for  the  govern- 
ment and  regulation  of  all  meetings  of  the  Society. 

The  Constitution  and  By-Laws  having  been  adopted,  officers 
for  the  ensuing  year  were  elected  as  follows: 

H.  P.  HOLLAND,  President. 

VICE  PRESIDENTS. 

Amasa  Hutchins Company  A 

E.   D.  Pettibone «  B 

Robert  Simpson "  C 

J.  H.  Nye «  D 

Elias  Cosper "  E 

Levi  Sanders "  F 

John  Waldy "  G 

G.  S.  Lockwood H 

Jacob  Wagner "  I 

Daniel  Hawn <•'  K 

JOHN  H.   SHERRATT,   Secretary. 
M.   S.   PARMELE,   Treasurer. 

Comrade  Simpson  announced  that  the  Winnebago  County 
Agricultural  Association  extended  to  the  members  of  the  Seventy- 
fourth  an  invitation  to  the  Fair,  and  upon  motion  the  invitation 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  59 

was  accepted  with  thanks,  and  it  was  decided  to  assemble  at  the 
G.  A.  R.  Hall  at  one  p.  m.,  and  march  in  a  body  to  the  Fair 
Grounds,  under  command  of  their  President,  Robert  Simpson.  It 
was  further  announced  that  arrangements  had  been  made  for  a 
banquet  at  the  Armory  at  7:30  p.  m.,  and  the  members  were  all 
requested  to  be  present  with  their  lady  friends. 
Upon  motion  the  Society  adjourned. 

EVENING  SESSION. 

At  7:30  p.  m.  the  members  of  the  regiment,  with  their  fam- 
ilies and  invited  guests,  convened  at  the  Rifles  Armory,  where  a 
supper  had  been  provided  under  the  direction  of  the  committee 
of  arrangements.  The  divine  blessing  was  invoked  by  Rev.  G. 
R.  Vanhorne,  after  which  all  present  addressed  themselves  to  a 
discussion  of  the  ample  spread.  Full  justice  having  been  done 
to  the  rations,  the  assembly  was  called  to  order  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Society,  Hosmer  P.  Holland,  who  remarked  as 
follows: 

"The  committee  who  have  had  in  charge  this,  our  second 
reunion,  have  made  every  effort  to  procure  the  presence  here 
with  you  this  evening  of  Gen.  W.  S.  Rosecrans  and  others,  who, 
it  was  thought,  you  would  be  glad  to  meet.  From  several  of 
these  gentlemen  letters  have  been  received,  which,  with  your 
permission,  I  will  now  read  to  you.  And  first  I  will  submit  to 
you  the  brief  communication  of  our  old  commander,  General 
Rosecrans,  which,  short  as  it  is,  in  his  perfect  knowledge  of  what 
the  Seventy-fourth  was,  and  of  what  brigade  that  regiment  form- 
ed a  part,  reveals  a  characteristic  of  the  man  which  lay  at  the 
very  root  of  his  success  as  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land. 

I  refer  to  that  surprising  and-thorough  knowledge  of  details 
exhibited  by  him  at  every  stage  of  their  progress,  in  respect  to 
the  organization  of  the  troops,  so  that  now,  after  more  than 
twenty  years  have  passed,  he  remembers  the  part  taken  by  this 
regiment  in  the  action  at  Stone  River.  While  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  at  times  met  with  reverses,  and  was,  occasionally, 
checked  by  the  enemy,  its  campaign  was,  from  the  outset,  a 
steady  advance.  It  never  retreated.  Having  once  gained,  it 
always  held,  its  ground.  Looking  back  now  we  can  readily  see, 
as  we  could  not  when  events  were  transpiring,  that  this  steady 


60  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

and  sure  advance  was  owing  to  the  thorough  preparations  always 
made  by  our  chief  before  ordering  a  forward  movement — prep- 
arations somtimes  so  prolonged  as  to  excite  impatience  among 
the  waiting  people  at  home. 

We  now  see  that  delays,  which  were  then  inexplicable,  arose 
from  the  inexorable  demand  for  such  necessary  preparations  as 
would  not  only  assure  probable  success,  but  provide  for  possible 
disaster.  And  now,  comrades,  having  said  thus  much  by  way 
of  introduction,  I  read  the  following  from  "Old  Rosy:" 

AUGUSTA,  Maine,  Aug.  27,  1884. 
HOSMER  P.  HOLLAND,  Rockford,  111. 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  your  kind  favor  of  the  19th  inst.,  and  very 
much  regret  that  I  cannot  be  present  at  the  reunion  of  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  gallant  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
It  would  afford  me  very  especial  pleasure,  remembering  as  I  do, 
the  gallant  services  of  Post's  brigade,  and  the  distinguished  be- 
havior of  the  regiment  at  Stone  River.  God  bless  them  all, 
yourself  included.  Yours  very  truly, 

W.   S.  ROSECRANS. 

From  Gen.  Philip  Sidney  Post,  who  fully  expected  to  be 
present,  the  following  was  read: 

GALESBURG,  111.,  Aug  31,  1884. 
HOSMER  P.  HOLLAND,  ESQ.,  Rockford,  111. 

My  Dear  Sir:  The  fates  are  against  me.  I  had  hoped  to  be 
with  the  Seventy-fourth  regiment  at  its  second  reunion,  but  I 
regret  to  say  that  circumstances  beyond  my  control  indicate  that 
it  will  be  impossible.  The  first  reunion,  celebrating  the  twenty- 
first  anniversary  of  the  muster-in  of  the  regiment,  is  green  in 
my  memory; — the  beautiful  city  of  Rockford,  with  its  thriving 
and  varied  industries,  the  crystal  river  with  its  picturesque  views, 
the  splendid  assembly  which  graced  the  occasion  on  the  fair 
grounds,  and  above  all  the  surviving  veterans  of  a  regiment 
which  had  rendered  itself  immortal  on  contested  and  blood}' 
fields,  and  had  won  a  proud  name  in  the  grandest  war  of  history 
— grandest  whether  measured  by  the  numbers  engaged,  the  ex- 
tent of  the  theatre  of  operations,  or  the  results  attained  for  the 
benefit  of  civilization.  As  the  first  brigade  commander  of  the 
Seventy-fourth  regiment,  appreciating  all  it  had  to  contend  with, 
all  it  endured  and  all  it  accomplished,  it  is  my  privilege  and 
duty  to  be  present  at  its  organized  reunions.  Assure  each  and 
all  of  my  comrades  of  my  profound  regret  that  I  am  unable  to 
join  them  on  this  occasion. 

Very  sincerely  yours,         PHILIP  SIDNEY  POST. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  61 

From  Gen.  Nathan  Kimball,  who  was  in  command  of  our 
brigade  during  a  portion  of  the  Georgia  campaign  : 

OGDEN,   Utah,  Aug.  23,  1884. 
HOSMER  P.  HOLLAND,  Rockford,  111. 

Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  July  20th,  kindly  inviting  me  to  at- 
tend the  reunion  of  the  Seventy-fourth  regiment  Illinois  Infantry 
at  Rockford,  on  the  4th  of  September  next,  was  duly  received. 
I  have  delayed  in  answering  until  now,  hoping  that  I  might  be 
enabled  to  assure  you  that  I  would  be  with  you,  but  I  regret 
that  I  have  to  say  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  do  so. 

It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  me  once  more  to  meet  with  the 
surviving  heroes  of  that  old  regiment,  and  with  them  honor  the 
memory  of  those  of  our  comrades  who  gave  their  lives  in  defense 
of  our  government  against  the  traitors  who  strove  to  destroy  it. 
Well  do  I  remember  the  daring  and  devoted  courage  of  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth in  those  terrible  battles  at  Kenesaw  Mountain,  June 
27th,  when  the  noble  Kerr,  Lieutenant  Colonel,  lost  his  life  while 
leading  the  regiment  into  the  enemy's  works,  and  at  Peach  Tree 
Creek,  July  20th,  when,  with  the  Seventy-third  and  others,  they 
defeated  and  drove  from  the  field  the  enemy,  who  outnumbered 
them  over  five  to  one.  God  bless  each  and  every  surviving  com- 
rade, and  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the  dead. 

Accept  my  thanks  for  the  invitation,  greet  each  old  comrade 
for  me,  and  believe  me  to  be,  ever, 

Faithfully  your  comrade, 

NATHAN  KIMBALL. 

From  Gen.  Frank  T.  Sherman,  who  also  commanded  the 
brigade  during  a  part  of  1864: 

CHICAGO,  111.,  Sept.  1st,  1884. 
H.  P.  HOLLAND,  Rockford,  111. 

Dear  Sir:  It  is  with  regret  that  I  have  to  inform  you,  and 
through  you,  the  members  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  Infantry 
Volunteers,  that  I  will  be  unable  to  meet  them  on  the  4th  inst. , 
as  I  fully  expected  to  do  upon  receipt  of  your  kind  invitation. 

I  trust  and  hope  that  your  reunion  will  prove  all  that  could 
be  expected,  and  that  the  memories  aroused  by  the  bringing 
together  of  the  surviving  veterans  will  prove  a  source  of  joy 
taken  from  the  troublous  time  of  war,  in  the  several  parts  taken 
by  all,  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the  Union  by  the  men  of  the 
Seventy-fourth. 

Again  expressing  my  regret  that  matters  pressing  and  can- 
not be  denied,  preclude  the  possibility  of  being  with  you  at  your 
present  reunion.  I  am,  Sir, 

Respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

F.  T.  SHERMAN: 


62  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

From  Capt.  Geo.  Q.  Gardner,  who  commanded  the  Fifth 
Wisconsin  battery  after  Pinney  received  his  mortal  wound  at 
Stone  River: 

DECORAH,  Iowa,  Aug.  20,  1884. 
HOSMER  P.  HOLLAND,  ESQ.,  Rockford,  111. 

Dear  Sir  and  Comrade:  To  say  that  I  was  pleased  and  grat- 
ified on  receipt  of  your  kind  invitation  to  be  present  and  partici- 
pate in  the  reunion  of  that  fine  regiment,  the  Seventy-fourth  Il- 
linois, is  a  feeble  expression  of  my  feelings.  I  have  not  received 
anything  for  a  long  time  that  pleased  me  more  than  your  invita- 
tion, and  it  is  my  intention  to  accept  it  and  be  present,  if  possi- 
ble to  leave  home.  I  always  liked  the  Seventy-fourth,  and  felt 
no  little  pride  in  knowing  that  the  regiment  thought  well  of  the 
Fifth  Wisconsin  battery.  The  reason  I  liked  the  Seventy-fourth 
was  because  the  officers  and  men  were  courteous  and  well- 
behaved  on  all  occasions,  and  steady  and  reliable  in  the  face  of 
the  enemy,  when  the  situation  "tried  men's  souls." 

I  have  with  pleasure  read  the  proceedings  of  your  first  re- 
union, and  must  say  that  it  was  exceedingly  interesting  to  me, 
as  it  led  me  over  a  portion  of  my  own  army  life  and  experience, 
and  revived  memories  of  Perryville,  Stone  River,  Tullahoma, 
Chicamauga,  the  hardships  of  camp,  marches  and  battle-fields, 
that  will  never  be  forgotten  so  long  as  there  are  any  land-marks 
left,  in  the  shape  of  survivors,  to  refer  to  them.  As  time  inter- 
venes the  hardships  become  almost  obliterated  from  memory, 
but  the  heroism  and  glory  stand  out  in  bolder  relief  and  shine 
brighter  each  year. 

I  well  remember  when  the  Seventy-fourth  and  Seventy-fifth 
joined  us,  and  how  I  pitied  the  poor  fellows  during  the  march  from 
Louisville  to  Perryville.  Our  company  picked  up  a  great  deal 
of  surplus  stuff  cast  aside  by  the  raw  and  weary  Sucker  State 
volunteers.  I  remember  that  just  before  our  battery  went  into 
action  at  Perryville,  the  Seventy-fourth  stood  in  line  in  rear  of 
us,  and  how  surprised  I  was  to  learn  they  did  not  go  into  action 
with  us.  When  I  saw  the  poor  Seventy-fifth  being  torn  so  ter 
ribly  by  the  leaden  storm  from  that  deadly  grove  or  wood,  I 
thought  it  was  the  Seventy-fourth,  and  did  not  learn  to  the  con- 
trary until  the  next  morning.  The  Seventy-fifth  met  with  a  ter- 
rible first  experience.  I  have  never  ceased  to  harshly  criticize 
the  author  of  the  order  that  sent  our  little  brigade  into  that  use- 
less charge  against  a  body  of  men  that  had  almost  annihilated 
McCook's  whole  corps.  I  become  angry  when  I  think  of  it,  as 
it  was  utterly  useless  and  uncalled  for.  It  is  a  matter  of  history 
that  our  battery,  with  two  small  veteran  regiments  and  one 
brand-new  regiment,  were  directed  against  a  whole  corps  of  vet- 
eran Confederate  troops,  entirely  concealed  in  the  woods  and 
flushed  with  victory,  having  almost  crushed  the  troops  opposing 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  63 

them.  I  well  remember  that  the  next  day  I  could  not  learn  of  a 
man  in  our  company  nor  in  the  regiments  that  saw  a  rebel  during 
the  charge.  All  that  could  be  seen  was  the  edge  of  the  woods 
and  a  bank  of  smoke.  Our  infantry  was  shattered  and  butcher- 
ed before  it  could  ascertain  the  work  really  desired  of  it.  It  was 
nothing  but  a  picnic  for  the  enemy.  Our  battery  came  off  with 
the  loss  of  only  one  killed,  but  we  were  saved  by  the  position 
we  occupied,  which  was  favorable  for  us,  the  infantry  being 
shoved  up  against  the  woods  and  enemy. 

Hoping  that  you  will  excuse  and  forgive  this  long-winded 
letter,  and   again  thanking  you  for  your  kindly  consideration, 
I  am,  sincerely  yours,  GEO.  Q.  GARDNER. 

Upon  the  conclusion  of  these  letters,  a  quartet,  consisting 
of  the  Messrs.  Emerson,  Wellington,  Ransom  and  True,  who 
had  kindly  volunteered  their  services,  were  called  upon  for  an 
old-time  army  song.  They  responded  with  "Rally  Round  the 
Flag,  Boys,"  and  again,  at  intervals  during  the  evening,  enliven- 
ed the  proceedings  with  the  familiar  music  of  twenty  years  ago ; 
all  present  joined  in  the  chorus. 

The  President  announced  that  a  comrade,  who  was  com- 
petent and  fully  equal  to  the  task,  had  compiled  a  history  of  the 
first  campaign  of  the  regiment.  Capt.  John  H.  Sherratt  was 
called  upon,  and  stepping  forward,  said: 

FIRST  CAMPAIGN   SEVENTY  FOURTH  ILLINOIS. 

BY  JOHN  H.    SHERRATT. 

Ladies  and  Comrades:  In  presenting  to  you  a  sketch  of  our 
first  campaign,  from  Louisville  to  Murfreesboro,  I  promise  to  be 
as  brief  as  an  intelligent  grouping  of  the  great  events  of  the  in- 
tervening three  months  will  allow.  Fortunately,  comrade  Hol- 
land, by  his  excellent  history,  read  at  our  reunion  of  a  year  ago, 
has  relieved  me  from  the  necessity  of  going  into  regimental  de- 
tails, and  we  can  look  to-night  upon  the  scene  as  a  whole,  of 
which  we  formed  a  part. 

In  July,  1862,  all  of  Tennessee,  north  and  west  of  the  Cum- 
berland Mountains,  was  held  by  the  Union  forces,  while  Bragg, 
with  the  main  body  of  the  rebel  army,  was  at  Chattanooga. 
Two  months  later  Nashville  was  the  only  point  south  of  Louis- 
ville flying  the  Union  flag.  Buell's  whole  army,  except  one 
division  left  at  Nashville,  had  been  forced  back  to  the  Ohio;  and 
that  his  army  was  not  destroyed  on  the  banks  of  Green  River 
was  owing  wholly  to  the  ineficiency  of  the  rebel  commander. 


64  FIRST    REUNION    OF    THE 

At  Louisville,  Buell's  force  was  doubled  in  numbers  by  the 
thousands  of  new  levies  that  were  hurried  forward  to  his  support, 
and  again  enabled  him  to  take  the  offensive. 

With  these  thousands  came  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois,  and 
about  midnight  on  the  last  day  of  September  we  crossed  the 
pontoon  bridge  over  the  Ohio,  and  bivouaced  in  the  streets  of 
Louisville. 

Here  we  were  brigaded  with  the  Twenty-second  Indiana, 
Fifty-ninth  and  Seventy-fifth  Illinois,  and  Pinney's  Fifth  Wis- 
consin battery,  forming  the  thirtieth  brigade,  ninth  division, 
third  corps,  army  of  the  Ohio.  In  the  reorganization,  the  old 
and  new  regiments  were  divided  nearly  equally  in  the  different 
brigades.  This  added  greatly  to  the  efficiency  of  the  new  troops; 
but  that  it  had  its  disadvantages  also  was  apparent  to  us  all. 
The  Seventy-fourth  was  armed  with  the  newest  of  Enfield  rifles, 
and  well  clothed.  The  Twenty-second  Indiana,  as  you  know, 
were  armed  with  old  Belgian  muskets,  and  clothed  with  the 
righteousness  of  their  cause,  if  not  with  modesty.  Six  weeks 
afterwards,  when  we  arrived  at  Nashville,  by  some  sort  of  leger- 
demain which  we  failed  to  understand  at  the  time,  we  were  sur- 
prisingly short  of  everything  that  adds  to  the  comfort  of  a  regi- 
ment, while  the  Twenty-second  Indiana  were  well  armed  with 
Enfield  rifles,  and  had  blossomed  out  in  uniforms  that  wore  to 
us  a  very  familiar  look. 

How  our  company  commanders  accounted  for  the  loss  of 
so  many  guns,  has  always  been  to  me  a  matter  of  inquiring 
interest;  but  it  is  more  than  likely  that  they  charged  them  off 
as  "lost  in  action,"  which  could  always  be  relied  upon  to  cover 
a  multitude  of  shortages,  if  not  a  multitude  of  sins. 

Long  before  daylight,  on  the  first  of  October,  we  were 
aroused;  arid  selecting  each  a  rubber  and  woolen  blanket,  and 
sending  everything  else  with  our  knapsacks  into  store,  we  set 
our  faces  toward  the  South,  -and  our  first  campaign  was  begun. 

How  little  we  knew  of  the  necessities  of  a  soldier's  life. 
Our  knapsacks  were  crowded  with  everything  that  we  did  not 
need.  Among  other  treasures,  I  remember  now  that  I  had  a 
pocket  dictionary  and  a  copy  of  "Paradise  Lost;"  but  of  tin 
plates,  cups,  knives,  forks  and  spoons,  we  were  totally  deficient. 
Just  as  we  were  passing  out  of  Louisville,  a  string  of  tin  cups 
hung  providentially  at  a  shop  door,  and  Capt.  Lakin  was  in- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  65 

spired  to  buy  twenty-five  of  them;  and  this  was  the  whole  outfit 
for  cooking  and  drinking  of  the  eighty  men  of  Co.  K.  It  took 
us  several  weeks  to  get  fully  stocked  up  with  frying-pans,  coffee- 
pots and  other  necessary  bric-a-brac;  and  even  now  I  can  see 
the  lambs  of  the  Seventy-fourth  rushing  for  every  tin  shop  in 
every  town  on  our  route  through  Kentucky. 

Buell's  active  army  numbered  70,000  men,  and  was  com- 
posed of  three  corps  of  three  divisions  each,  each  division  hav- 
ing three  brigades,  generally  of  four  regftnents  and  a  battery. 
One  division  (Sill's)  moved  eastward  toward  Frankfort  and 
Lexington,  while  the  rest  of  the  army  moved  southeast;  and  on 
October  4th,  rendezvoused  at  Bardstown,  from  which  the  enemy 
had  retreated.  At  Bardstown  we  were  encamped  high  upon  the 
side  of  a  hill,  one  of  a  vast  amphitheater  of  hills  that  held  the 
whole  army,  and  was  lit  up  with  a  thousand  camp-fires.  The 
scene  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten,  and  which  language  fails  to 
describe.  As  a  camping  ground,  however,  it  had  its  incon- 
veniences; and  several  times  during  the  night  we  changed  our 
location,  by  simply  sliding  down  hill  while  asleep. 

Our  progress  was  very  slow,  as  the  enemy  defended  every 
foot  of  the  ground,  and  portions  of  the  army  were  obliged  to 
make  wide  detours  to  find  water.  It  was  not  until  the  morning 
of  the  eighth  of  October  that  we  arrived  near  the  little  village 
of  Perryville,  about  fifty  miles  southeast  of  Louisville,  where, 
for  the  numbers  engaged,  was  fought  one  of  the  fiercest  battles 
of  the  war.  Bragg  had  been  away  to  Frankfort,  installing  in  of- 
fice a  provisional  Governor  for  Kentucky.  In  the  midst  of  the 
proceedings  they  were  interrupted  by  the  advance  of  Sill's  div- 
ision, which  had  moved  eastward  from  Louisville.  The  Gov- 
ernor, with  great  discretion,  ran  away,  and  Bragg  prepared  to 
meet  what  he  supposed  to  be,  the  main  body  of  Buell's  army. 
To  do  this  he  further  weakened  his  force  at  Perryville,  dividing 
his  army  into  two  nearly  equal  bodies  of  23,000  men  each;  the 
left  wing  at  Perryville,  and  the  right  wing  about  forty  miles  to 
the  north,  protecting  Frankfort  and  Lexington.  At  the  same 
time  he  ordered  Polk,  in  command  at  Perryville,  to  break  up 
the  force  in  his  front,  move  northward,  and  with  their  combined 
forces  they  would  fall  upon  Buell's  main  army,  thus  beating  it 
in  detail.  The  plan  was  well  conceived  had  his  information  been 
correct;  but  at  this  very  time  Buell's  whole  force,  except  Sill's 


66  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

one  division,  had  been  concentrated  at  Perryville.  Curiously 
enough,  while  Bragg  thought  thatBuell  confronted  him  at  Frank- 
fort, Buell  supposed  that  Bragg's  main  force  was  at  Perryville; 
and  so  the  battle  of  Perryville  was  fought,  each  of  these  marvel- 
lous strategists  supposing  that  the  other  was  somewhere  else. 
With  58,000  men  ready  to  strike,  Buell  delayed  till  the  next  day, 
and  the  one  great  opportunity  of  a  life-time  was  lost.  Had  he 
attacked  at  once  with  his  whole  force,  he  must  inevitably  have 
crushed  the  enemy  in  his  front,  and  by  throwing  himself  upon 
the  rebel  line  of  retreat,  have  compelled  the  surrender  or  dis- 
persion of  Bragg's  whole  army. 

At  two  p.  m.,  Polk,  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  rebel  plan, 
moved  to  the  attack.  He  struck  McCook's  corps  on  the  left, 
and  Sheridan's  division  of  Gilbert's  corps  in  the  center  ;  and 
from  that  time  till  dark  these  three  divisions,  with  the  assistance 
of  a  portion  of  Mitchell's  division,  were  left  to  struggle  alone. 
Nearly  two-thirds  of  our  army  never  fired  a  gun.  It  was  not  till 
four  o'clock  that  McCook  sent  word  to  Buell  that  a  battle  was 
in  progress;  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  battle  was  nearly  over 
before  Buell  knew  that  it  had  begun.  At  this  time  our  whole 
left  wing  had  been  forced  back,  and  our  brigade  (Gooding's) 
which  had  been  drawn  up  since  noon  in  a  corn  field,  just  in  the 
rear  of  where  our  line  was  pushed  the  hardest,  was  sent  in  to 
stem  the  tide.  And  here  came  in  one  of  those  peculiar  accidents 
that  mark  the  "fortunes  of  war."  When  our  brigade  was  sent 
to  the  left,  for  some  reason  that  I  never  learned,  the  Seventy- 
fourth  was  moved  to  the  right.  Our  part  of  the  battle  consisted 
in  dodging  shells  and  bullets  that  passed  over  the  line  in  front, 
and  in  guarding  some  rebel  prisoners  during  the  night;  but  with- 
in two  minutes  after  our  companions  in  arms  had  left  us  they 
encountered  the  enemy;  and  according  to  the  Count  de  Paris, 
in  the  best  history  of  the  civil  war  yet  written,  sustained  almost 
alone  for  two  hours,  the  shock  of  the  rebel  forces.  How  well 
they  did  it,  and  at  what  a  fearful  cost,  was  apparent  to  us  the 
next  morning,  when,  drawn  up  in  line,  our  regiment  presented 
a  front  nearly  equal  to  the  other  three.  This  one  brigade  lost 
500  men  out  of  a  total  of  1,500  in  action,  while  our  whole  loss 
was  about  4,400;  the  rebel  loss  being  1,000  less.  This  was 
the  one  battle  of  the  war  in  which  we  were,  to  use  an  expression 
of  the  time,  "spoiling  for  a  fight."  We  believed  that  the  call 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  67 

for  "600,000  more"  would  soon  end  the  war,  and  that  this  was 
positively  our  last  chance  for  a  battle.  How  little  we  compre- 
hended the  magnitude  of  the  contest  in  which  we  were  engaged, 
and  how  little  we  knew  of  the  many  weary  years  that  were  to  fol- 
low. Could  the  veil  have  been  lifted  and  the  future  disclosed, 
how  many  of  that  great  army,  living  and  dead,  would  have  had 
the  courage  to  go  forward  to  the  end? 

The  rebels,  at  last  aware  that  they  had  attacked  a  greatly 
superior  force,  and  had  been  saved  from  annihilation  only  by 
greater  blunders  on  our  part,  withdrew  during  the  night.  They 
hastily  abandoned  Frankfort  and  Lexington,  and  bent  every  en- 
ergy to  concentrate  their  army  and  secure  their  line  of  retreat. 
Even  now,  had  Buell  been  equal  to  the  occasion,  he  would,  with 
his  overwhelming  force,  have  moved  at  once  on  their  line  of  com- 
munications and  compelled  Bragg  to  fight  at  a  disadvantage, 
with  the  probable  result  of  his  total  destruction. 

Instead  of  this,  he  hovered  around  the  battle  field  for  three 
days,  waiting  for  Sill  with  his  division,  and  when  at  last  lie 
moved  the  golden  opportunity  was  gone.  The  enemy,  with  a 
united  force,  was  safe  on  its  line  of  retreat,  and  passed  leisurely 
out  of  the  State  through  Cumberland  Gap,  its  wagons  laden 
with  the  spoils  of  Kentucky.  Minor  engagements  with  their 
rear  guard,  when  pressed  too  closely,  closed  this  part  of  the 
campaign. 

We  were  now  in  Southeastern  Kentucky,  Bragg  was  safe  on 
his  way  to  Knoxville,  where  he  would  strike  the  railroad  leading 
to  Chattanooga,  and  on  to  Nashville.  It  needed  but  little  dis- 
cernment to  fortell  his  presence  at  an  early  date  in  middle  Ten- 
nessee; and,  as  in  the  summer,  he  and  Buell  had  engaged  in  a 
foot  race  for  Louisville,  so  again  they  set  their  whole  forces  in 
motion  for  Nashville,  where  we  arrived  Nov.  6th,  the  Seventy- 
fourth  leading  the  advance  on  the  last  day.  We  arrived  none 
too  soon,  as  our  old  enemy  was  there  before  us,  and  the  day 
before  had  made  an  attack  upon  the  city.  I  shall  not  stop  to 
recount  the  incidents  and  hardships  of  that  long  and  exhausting 
march.  Its  effects  were  seen  in  the  decimated  ranks  of  our 
regiment,  only  about  half  the  number  reaching  Nashville  that 
had  set  out  from  Louisville  six  weeks  before.  The  others 
lay  in  farm  houses  and  hospitals  along  the  route,  victims  of 
exposure  and  fatigue.  First  we  suffered  from  heat  and  an  un- 


68  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

precedented  drouth.  The  springs  and  ponds  were  dry,  and  even 
rivers  were  reduced  to  stagnant  pools.  Afterwards  came  the 
autumnal  rains,  and  later,  snow.  We  were  without  tents,  and, 
after  Perryville,  without  blankets,  for  someone,  as  a  cap  sheaf 
of  stupidity  to  this  blundering  campaign,  had  ordered  us  to  pile 
our  blankets  when  we  were  ordered  into  action,  and  they  are 
probably  piled  there  yet,  for  ever  after  they  were  "lost  to  sight, 
though  to  memory  dear." 

At  Lebanon  we  received  our  knapsacks  and  overcoats  that 
had  been  left  at  Louisville,  and  when  we  broke  camp  next 
morning,  the  fields  were  strewn  with  the  thousands  of  useless 
articles  with  which  we  had  loaded  ourselves  upon  leaving  home. 
The  "spoils  of  Trafalgar"  were  as  nothing  compared  with  what 
we  left  behind  us.  It  was  here  that  I  sacrificed  my  dictionary 
and  "Paradise  Lost." 

At  Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  on  October  30th,  Buell  was  relieved 
by  Rosecrans,  and  the  "Army  of  the  Ohio"  was,  under  that  great 
leader,  to  thereafter  win  imperishable  renown  as  the  "Army  of 
the  Cumberland."  Its  organization  was  but  little,  if  any, 
changed,  though  several  changes  were  made  in  its  subordinate 
commanders.  Those  gallant  soldiers,  Post  and  Davis,  had  suc- 
ceeded Gooding  and  Mitchell  in  command  of  our  brigade  and 
division,  while  McCook  had  succeeded  Gilbert  in  command  of 
the  corps.  In  bidding  Gilbert  goodby,  I  think  I  hazard  nothing 
in  saying,  that  of  all  the  corps  commanders  that  the  war  pro- 
duced, he  was  the  poorest.  Thus  officered  we  became  the  first 
brigade,  first  division  of  the  right  wing,  Crittendon  commanding 
the  left  wing,  while  the  center  was  entrusted  to  that  grand  old 
hero,  "the  noblest  Roman  of  them  all" — Geo.  H.  Thomas. 

The  six  weeks  spent  in  and  around  Nashville  were  busy 
ones.  The  army  was  thoroughly  drilled  and  accustomed  to  act 
together  in  those  larger  evolutions  of  the  brigade  and  division. 
Stores  of  all  kinds  were  accumulated.  Camp  guard,  picket 
duty,  foraging  and  other  expeditions,  with  an  occasional  day  on 
the  fortifications,  filled  in  the  time,  and  relieved  us  from  ennui  or 
idleness.  Here  we  received  our  first  ration  of  flour,  and  the 
boys  soon  developed  into  culinary  artists  of  no  mean  propor- 
tions. It  was  an  inspiring  sight  to  witness  their  evolutions  with 
a  pan  of  batter,  and  no  doubt  many  of  you  have  since  rendered 
the  lives  of  your  wives  miserable  by  expatiating  upon  your 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  69 

accomplishments.  For  the  benefit  of  a  patient  and  long-suffering 
woman-kind,  I  propose  to  put  on  record  the  fact  that  your  bis- 
cuits were  heavy,  your  doughnuts  were  fried  in  smoky  grease, 
and  even  that  your  griddle  cakes  were  not  above  suspicion.  I 
know  it's  treason  to  say  so,  but  we  are  getting  old,  and  before 
going  to  our  long  account,  should  make  some  atonement  for 
our  years  of  false  pretensions.  "An  open  confession  is  good 
for  the  soul."  The  corn  was  now  ripe,  and  we  increased  our 
stock  of  knowledge  and  supplies  by  the  making  of  hulled  corn. 
You  all  know  the  process.  First,  boil  it  in  ashes,  give  it  a 
thorough  rubbing  to  remove  the  hulls;  then  follows  several 
boilings  in  fresh  water  to  remove  the  lye.  My  experience  in 
this  direction  was  one  of  fascinating  interest.  Taking  our  lar- 
gest camp  kettle,  I  shelled  it  full,  and  with  a  pan  of  ashes  went 
to  the  creek,  built  a  fire  and  commenced  operations.  Now  the 
most  natural  thing  in  the  world  was  for  that  corn  to  swell.  As 
the  scientists  of  to-day  would  say,  it  had  within  it  the  life  and 
potency  of  tremendous  possibilities;  and  yet,  when  I  saw  it  ap- 
proach and  froth  over  the  top  of  that  kettle,  it  came  to  me  as  a 
revelation.  It  soon  exhausted  the  slender  resources  of  our  mess, 
and  the  whole  company  was  put  under  requisitions  for  vessels 
to  hold  the  surplus.  It  grew  like  Jonah's  gourd,  and  when  the 
trouble  was  all  over,  the  harvest  garnered,  I  thought  to  recipro- 
cate the  kindness  of  my  friends  by  supplying  them  out  of  my 
abundance.  Unfortunately  they  became  suspicious  of  my  mo- 
tives. They  conceived  the  idea  that  I  was  "  stuck"  on  hulled 
corn,  and  wanted  to  unload;  and  so  the  last  of  that  transaction 
was  worse  than  the  first. 

It  was  Rosecrans'  intention  to  move  on  the  enemy  just  as 
soon  as  he  could  see  a  probability  of  success.  In  cavalry  he 
was  greatly  deficient,  while  in  infantry  the  opposing  forces  were 
nearly  equal.  At  this  time  Jeff  Davis  visited  Bragg  at  Mtirfrees- 
boro,  and  as  a  result  of  that  interview,  Bragg  committed  the 
fatal  mistake  of  sending  one  of  his  divisions  and  Forest's  cavalry 
to  operate  against  Grant  in  Mississippi  and  Western  Tennessee, 
while  Morgan  with  his  force  of  cavalry  was  sent  into  Kentucky 
to  prey  upon  our  communications.  This  coming  to  the  know- 
ledge of  Rosecrans  decided  him  to  move  at  once,  although  his 
preparations  were  far  from  complete. 

Early  on   the   morning  of    December   26th,  we  struck   our 


70  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

tents,  the  sick  with  the  baggage  were  sent  to  Nashville,  and  in 
a  cold  and  pouring  rain  the  advance  on  .Murfreesboro  com- 
menced. Crittenden  took  the  direct  road,  Thomas  the  Franklin 
road,  and  McCook,  to  whose  corps  we  were  attached,  covered 
the  ground  between.  The  enemy  retired  to  the  banks  of  Stone 
river,  covering  Murfreesboro,  leaving  behind  three  brigades, 
two  batteries  and  their  cavalry  to  resist  our  advance.  McCook 
encountered  their  pickets  at  almost  the  start,  and  in  the  after- 
noon a  sharp  engagement  was  fought  at  Nolensville,  in  which 
the  Seventy-fourth  bore  a  prominent  part.  Here  occurred  an 
incident  of  pathetic  interest,  which  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  all  who  saw  it.  Our  line  was  being  advanced  against  a 
battery  posted  in  one  of  the  denies  of  the  hills  to  dispute  our 
passage.  As  we  approached  a  farm  house,  a  young  rebel 
cavalryman,  who  had  lingered  too  long  at  his  home  on  the 
retreat,  ran  out  and  attempted  to  escape.  We  heard  him  say, 
"Good-by,  mother,"  which  proved  to  be  his  final  leave-taking 
for  this  world,  for  as  he  leaped  into  his  saddle  he  was  killed. 

The  night  of  the  30th  found  us  in  line  of  battle  43,000 
strong,  about  two  miles  from  and  facing  Murfreesboro,  the 
enemy  being  in  our  immediate  front.  Our  left,  under  Crittenden, 
rested  on  Stone  river,  while  the  center,  under  Thomas,  and  the 
right,  under  McCook,  extended  southerly  about  three  miles  to 
the  Franklin  pike.  Rosecrans  had  planned  to  cross  Stone 
River  early  in  the  morning,  break  up  the  rebel  right  and  throw 
himself  between  Murfreesboro  and  their  army.  For  this  pur- 
pose his  left  and  center  were  heavily  massed.  It  was  a  curious 
coincidence  that  Bragg  had  also  massed  heavily  on  his  left  with 
a  view  to  an  attack  at  the  same  time  on  our  right.  Here  then 
were  two  opposing  generals,  with  nearly  equal  forces,  and  with 
the  same  plan  of  battle.  It  is  plain  that  the  advantage  must 
rest  with  the  earlier  attack;  and  the  d'elay  occasioned  by  our 
crossing  Stone  River  gave  to  the  enemy  this  advantage.  Nor 
was  this  all.  Our  right  had  been  posted  as  if  to  invite  a  dis- 
aster. Instead  of  being  massed  for  defense,  it  was  weak,  ex- 
tended, and  stuck  out  into  air.  For  this  McCook  was  responsible. 
That  the  most  was  not  made  of  the  position  as  it  was,  Johnson, 
whose  division  held  the  extreme  right,  must  bear  the  blame.  He 
had  placed  one  of  his  three  brigades  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the 
rear,  too  far  away  for  a  support,  and  with  it  had  established  his 


SEVENTY- FOURTH  ILL.  REGIMENT.  71 

headquarters.  Think  of  a  division  commander  spending  the 
night  at  such  a  time  one  and  a  half  miles  in  the  rear  of  his  line 
of  battle.  Here,  then,  was  the  situation  on  the  last  day  of  the 
year  1862,  when  with  the  rising  sun  the  enemy  moved  to  the  at- 
tack. With  no  directing  head,  with  no  support,  outflanked  on 
the  right,  and  borne  down  by  weight  of  numbers  in  their  front, 
Johnson's  two  brigades  gave  way. 

It  has  been  charged  that  they  were  surprised,  but  that  is  a 
slander  on  those  brave  men.  True,  some  of  the  artillery  horses 
were  away  to  water,  but  the  guns  were  there  ready  for  action. 
It  is  also  true  that  some  of  the  men  were  preparing  breakfast, 
but  a  soldier's  breafast  at  such  a  time  is  not  of  such  an  elabo- 
rate character  as  to  incapacitate  him  for  instant  service.  The 
truth  is  that  the  pickets  were  well  out,  and  the  men  had  been 
standing  in  line  from  five  o'clock  till  daylight.  The  trouble  was 
not  with  the  men  in  front,  but  with  the  men  who  left  them  there 
without  the  shadow  of  a  chance  to  do  themselves  justice.  John- 
son's third  brigade  being  so  far  away  could  give  no  aid  till  their 
comrades  were  routed,  and  it  in  turn  was  swept  away,  the  whole 
division  being  so  completely  broken  up  and  dispersed  in  thirty 
minutes  as  to  put  it  out  of  the  fight  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

Next  to  Johnson  came  our  brigade  (Post's)  of  Davis' division. 
A  change  of  front  became  at  once  necessary,  and  we  formed  line 
behind  a  rail  fence  about  half  a  mile  to  the  rear,  and  at  right 
angles  to  our  former  position.  On  our  left  was  a  wide  gap 
between  us  and  the  rest  of  our  division.  On  our  right  were  the 
rebels  pursuing  Johnson's  broken  columns.  Thus  isolated  we 
had  no  show  to  win;  but  by  a  vigorous  resistance  we  could  gain 
time,  and  time  was  all  important  for  the  remainder  of  the  army. 
Never  shall  we  forget  with  what  perfect  line  and  swinging  step 
the  enemy  advanced  across  the  field  in  our  front,  and  never  shall 
we  cease  to  admire  the  soldierly  bearing  and  perfect  discipline 
of  that  splendid  body  of  men.  We  frankly  recognize  the  gal- 
lantry of  the  southern  soldier;  and  when  next  we  go  to  war,  if 
go  we  must,  may  it  be  our  fortune  to  march  with,  and  not  against 
them. 

Against  those  in  front  we  could  have  held,  and  did  hold,  our 
position;  but  finally  threatened  on  both  flanks  by  overlapping 
forces,  no  other  course  than  surrenderor  retreat  was  left  us.  We 
chose  the  latter.  The  experience  of  our  brigade  was  the  ex- 


72  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

perience,  more  or  less  prolonged,  of  Davis',  Sheridan's  and 
Negley's  divisions.  The  splendid  fight  made  by  Davis  against 
overwhelming  odds  enabled  Sheridan  to  prepare  for  the  coming 
storm.  Sheridan  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  could  gather  in- 
spiration from  disaster,  and  pluck  victory  from  defeat. 

We  did  not  know  it  at  the  time,  but  when  Davis'  shattered 
columns  rallied  and  made  so  brave  a  stand  at  the  hospital,  it 
was  of  inestimable  service  to  Sheridan.  It  greatly  relieved  his 
sorely  pressed  regiments,  and  allowed  him  to  take  a  new  posi- 
tion from  which  he  could  continue  the  fight.  Though  forced 
back  at  last,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  his  skillful  mancevre- 
ing  and  prolonged  resistance,  saved  the  day. 

The  rebels  advanced  by  a  continuous  right  wheel,  using 
their  center  as  a  pivot,  their  line  to  the  right  taking  up  the  fight 
and  pressing  us  in  front  as  their  left  advanced  on  our  flank  and 
rear.  By  ten  o'clock  one-half  of  our  army  had  been  driven  from 
its  original  position,  and  the  whole  right  wing  was  doubled  back 
on  the  center.  It  was  not  until  we  reached  the  Nashville  pike, 
three  hours  after  the  fight  began  that  help  came  to  us  from  the 
left. 

As  at  Perryville,  McCook  had  failed  to  call  upon  Buell  for 
help  till  it  was  too  late;  so  here  it  was  nine  o'clock  before  he 
acquainted  Rosecrans  of  the  extent  of  his  disaster.  The  reced- 
ing sounds  of  the  battle  had,  however,  given  ominous  warnings. 
Rosecrans'  contemplated  attack  upon  the  rebel  right  was  aban- 
doned. The  troops  that  were  to  make  it  were  recalled  from 
across  the  river,  and  everything  put  in  motion  to  save  the  army. 
It  was  these  troops  that  we  met  at  last,  and  behind  them  we 
reformed  our  broken  ranks.  The  rebels,  who  had  been  march- 
ing and  fighting  since  early  morning,  were,  with  their  tired  and 
decimated  ranks,  in  no  condition  to  meet  these  fresh  opponents, 
and  were,  in  turn,  broken  and  driven  back.  One  or  two  more 
efforts  on  their  part  closed  the  fighting  on  this  part  of  the  field; 
but  all  day  the  battle  raged  on  the  center  and  left  with  unabated 
fury,  their  every  attack  being  repulsed. 

In  all  the  fighting  of  this  terrible  day  our  lines  were  never 
once  broken  in  front;  and  had  our  flank  been  properly  protected, 
there  is  little  reason  to  doubt  but  what  we  could  have  held  our 
position  until  Rosecrans  had  carried  out  his  plans  on  the  left. 
There  is  something  pathetic  in  the  position  of  the  rank  and  file 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  73 

who  know  nothing  of  a  battle  but  the  little  they  see  around  them, 
who  obey  with  the  same  alacrity  and  fidelity  the  orders  of  an  in- 
competent as  of  a  skillful  commander,  who  march  to  their  fate, 
sometimes  a  useless  sacrifice,  without  questioning : 

"Their's  not  to  question  why  ; 
Their'sbut  to  do  and  die." 

Fame,  glory  and  honors  are  not  for  them,  but  for  those  who 
command.  For  pure,  unalloyed  patriotism  commend  me  to  the 
volunteer  who  served  in  the  ranks. 

To  add  further  to  the  misfortunes  of  the  day,  the  rebel  cav- 
alry had  gotten  in  between  us  and  Nashville  and  burned  our 
wagons  and  supplies.  With  little  or  nothing  to  eat,  with  twenty- 
eight  guns  lost,  with  the  army  barely  saved  from  total  defeat, 
with  only  ammunition  enough  left  to  repel  an  attack,  Rosecrans, 
in  a  council  of  war  held  that  night,  decided  to  fight  it  out  on  that 
field;  and  to  his  genius  and  courage  was  our  final  triumph  due. 
The  Seventy-fourth  had  lost  seventy-nine  men,  or  one-fifth  of  its 
force  present;  and  this  was  about  the  proportion  of  loss  for  the 
whole  army  in  this  first  day's  engagement.  When  the  day  is 
over;  when  the  rush  and  roar  of  battle  is  succeeded  by  the  solemn 
stillness  of  the  night;  when  the  excitement  is  calmed  and  the 
cheers  have  died  away;  when  we  are  left  to  think  of  our  comrades 
gone,  and  our  broken  ranks;  then  there  comes  to  every  heart  a 
feeling  of  infinite  sadness.  It  was  with  such  thoughts  and  such 
feelings  that  we  watched  the  old  year  out,  and  at  last  fell  asleep. 

With  the  first  dawn  of  New  Year's  day  Bragg  felt  our  posi- 
tion, and  was  surprised  to  find  us  still  holding  the  field  in  force. 
By  all  the  rules  of  well  regulated  war  we  should  have  withdrawn 
during  the  night.  To  remain  after  we  were  fairly  whipped  was 
taking  a  mean  advantage  of  an  enemy,  and  Rosecrans  was  guilty 
of  this  marked  discourtesy.  As  the  day  wore  away  without  a 
renewal  of  the  attack,  Rosecrans  again  returned  to  his  original 
plan  of  battle.  VanCleve's  division  was  sent  across  the  river, 
and  took  up  a  position  threatening  the  enemy's  right,  and  from 
which  he  could  enfilade  their  center.  This  movement,  made 
late  in  the  day,  was  not  discovered  till  the  next  morning. 

The  enemy  saw  at  once  that  this  position  must  be  taken,  or 
their  whole  line  drawn  back.  To  Breckenridge  was  assigned  the 
task  of  its  capture;  and  at  four  p.  m.,  with  fi^e  thousand  men, 
he  charged  across  the  intervening  field,  routed  VanCleve's  two 


74  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

brigades  and  drove  ,them  in  great  disorder  across  the  river. 
Just  below  the  ford,  on  a  commanding  hill,  Rosecrans  had  mas- 
sed fifty-eight  guns.  These  guns  plowed  the  rebel  ranks.  Por- 
tions of  Palmer's  and  Negley's  divisions  took  up  the  fight  ;  and 
our  division  was  ordered  over  from  the  extreme  right.  We  made 
the  intervening  two  miles  on  the  double  quick,  and  m)^  legs  yet 
ache  from  the  effort.  Breckenridge  had  not  expected  such  a 
reception.  His  men  broke  and  ran,  and  in  an  hour  the  fight 
was  over.  One  half  of  the  assaulting  column  was  left  on  the 
field  ;  and  had  night  not  overtaken  us,  there  is  little  doubt  but 
what  we  could  have  pushed  on  into  Murfreesboro,  so  great  was 
their  demoralization.  All  that  night  and  the  next  day  the  two 
armies  confronted  each  other  and  on  the  succeeding  night) 
January  3d,  the  enemy  withdrew.  Thus  closed  one  of  the  most 
prolonged,  sanguinary  and  hotly  contested  battles  of  the  war; 
and  thus  closed  our  first  campaign. 

Stone  River  is  entitled  to  rank  as  one  of  the  great  battles  in 
history,  whether  considered  in  the  importance  of  the  results 
achieved,  the  numbers  engaged,  or  the  great  proportion  of  killed 
and  wounded.  Our  victory,  for  so  it  was  proclaimed,  came  at 
a  most  opportune  moment  and  was  hailed  with  delight  by  the 
loyal  millions  at  home.  It  was  the  one  ray  of  sunshine  in  our 
national  firmament  during  all  that  gloomy  winter.  Grant  had 
failed  in  his  attempt  on  Vicksburg,  and  the  army  of  the  Potomac 
had  marched  to  useless  slaughter  on  the  heights  of  Fredericks- 
burg.  Many  of  the  Northern  states  had  elected  legislatures  hos- 
tile to  our  cause.  Even  here  in  Illinois,  Gov.  Yates  was  obliged 
to  resort  to  the  extra  constitutional  means  of  proroguing  a  legisla- 
ture intent  upon  mischief.  The  emancipation  proclamation  had 
just  gone  into  effect,  and  strange  as  it  now  appears,  was  hardly 
sustained  by  public  opinion.  If  to  our  other  calamities  had  been 
added  a  defeat  at  Stone  river,  the  consequences  would  have  been 
disastrous  and  far  reaching.  Lincoln  well  said,  that  if  Rosecrans 
had  done  nothing  else,  his  victory  at  that  time  would  have  for- 
ever entitled  him  to  the  gratitude  of  his  country. 

Aside  from  its  inspiring  effects  upon  the  country  at  large,  it 
gave  to  us  Middle  Tennessee,  and  placed  us  well  on  our  way  to 
Chattanooga,  the  objective  point  of  the  campaign. 

In  reading  the  history  of  the  civil  war  we  are  struck  with 
the  courage  and  physical  endurance  of  the  American  soldier. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  75 

One  quarter  (22,000)  of  all  the  men  who  marched  to  Stone  River 
were  left  on  the  field  of  battle.  This  loss  was  divided  nearly 
equally  between  the  two  armies.  At  Chickamauga  the  proportion 
was  still  greater;  and  yet  those  who  were  left  were  unconquer- 
ed  and  full  of  fight.  These  were  volunteers,  whose  lives  had 
previously  been  lives  of  peace.  At  Sedan,  Napoleon  surrender- 
ed an  army  of  135,000  after  a  loss  of  only  15,000;  while  at  Metz 
Bazaine  surrendered  a  still  larger  force,  after  a  loss  atGravelotte 
of  less  than  one-seventh,  and  yet  these  were  men  whose  busi- 
ness in  life  was  war.  Comrades,  the  army  has  never  yet  been 
mustered  that  could  compel  the  surrender  of  135,000  men  such 
as  marched  with  Rosecrans  and  Thomas  to  the  historic  fields  of 
Stone  River  and  Chickamauga.  We  feel  a  just  pride  in  our  record 
as  citizen  soldiers,  and  would,  by  these  recurring  reunions,  keep 
green  the  memory  of  those  dajs.  Nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
has  passed  since  then.  Many  have  gone  to  their  reward,  while 
all  of  us  are  hastening  to  the  end.  The  ranks  of  that  Grand 
Army  of  the  Union  are  becoming  thinned,  but  its  work  remains, 
and  a  united  nation  will  ever  hold  it  in  grateful  remembrance. 

After  an  interval  of  music,  Judge  Robert  B.  Archibald,  of 
Jacksonville,  Fla.,  was  called  upon  for  some  remarks  upon  "Re- 
sults of  the  War  as  affecting  the  South."  In  response,  Comrade 
Archibald  said: 

Comrades,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  Anyone  coming,  as  I  have, 
a  distance  of  twelve  or  fiifteen  hundred  miles,  from  the  Land  of 
Flowers  to  the  Forest  City,  upon  considering  the  fact  that  he  had 
traversed  but  about  one-third  of  the  extent  of  our  whole  country, 
will  undoubtedly  be  deeply  impressed,  as  I  was  myself,  with  the 
vastness  of  the  land  we  live  in  and  call  our  own.  And  yet  in 
the  whole  distance  from  Florida  to  Lake  Michigan  nowhere  could 
we  see  along  the  route  a  natural  division  where  a  boundary  line 
could  be  properly  established  to  divide  the  different  sections  of 
the  country  so  as  to  form  two  separate  nations.  What  we  term 
the  North  and  South  appeared  formed  and  adapted  for  one  vast, 
grand  empire,  "one  and  inseparable,"  the  home  of  prosperous, 
happy  millions  of  people,  the  source  of  hope  and  inspiration  of 
the  world.  Viewed  in  this  light  we  come  to  the  realization  of 
the  fact  that  in  the  great  four  years'  war  of  the  rebellion  our  gal- 
lant soldiers  did  not  endure  all  the  hardship  and  privations  of 
the  march,  the  camp,  and  the  battle-field,  great  as  they  were,  in 


76  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

vain;  and  it  may  with  truth  be  added  that  the  accomplishment 
of  anything  less  than  the  grand  results  actually  achieved  would 
have  been  wholly  inadequate  to  the  great  sacrifices  made. 

As  I  have  said,  all  the  States  of  the  Union  seem  adapted  to 
the  formation  of  one  vast  country.  No  part  could  be  severed 
without  impairing  the  symmetry  of  the  whole.  The  North  needs 
the  South  and  the  South  the  North,  and  the  East  and  the  West 
are  mutually  dependent  upon  each  other.  As  for  the  South,  the 
people  there  need  the  cool,  bracing  air  of  the  North,  where  they 
can  come  in  the  summer  to  get  fresh  vigor  and  inspiration.  We 
need  your  mountain  and  your  seaside  resorts,  your  Saratogas, 
your  Long  Branches  and  your  "Forest  Citys. "  We  also  need 
the  thousands  of  Northern  visitors  and  tourists  who  annually 
make  their  pilgrimages  into  our  sunny  land  in  winter,  to  say 
nothing  of  our  need  of  the  thousands  of  dollars  they  leave  there 
when  they  come  to  visit  us.  On  your  part,  you  need  the  "Sun- 
ny South,"  with  its  beautiful  climate  and  its  balmy  air,  where 
you  can  escape  the  icy  breath  of  winter  and  bask  in  the  sunshine 
under  Southern  skies.  Floridians  awlays  boast,  and  justly  so, 
of  the  climate  of  Florida;  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  curious 
stories  are  sometimes  told  of  us.  One  of  these  indicates  that  our 
Florida  climate  is  so  salubrious  that  it  has  even  acquired  some- 
thing like  a  marketable  value.  For  instance,  it  is  said  that  a 
party,  upon  settling  his  bill  at  a  hotel  on  the  St.  Johns  river, 
noticed  that  one  item  was  for  "sundries"  $25.00.  Not  being 
quite  satisfied,  he  called  for  an  explanation.  About  $15.00  was 
duly  accounted  for,  but  no  explanation  could  be  given  for  the 
balance.  "O,  well,"  said  the  landlord,  "I  suppose  the  other 
ten  dollars  is  for  "climate."  With  that  explanation  the  gentle- 
man said  he  supposed  he  must  be  contented,  but  said  it  remind- 
ed him  of  the  announcement  put  up  in  a  hotel  out  west  which 
read  thus:  "Terms  three  dollars  and  a  half  a  day,  board  and 
lodging  extra." 

In  all  the  reunions  of  the  old  soldiers  of  the  Union,  it  must 
be  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  to  them  to  feel  that  while  their 
victorious  columns  marched  triumphantly  through  the  South, 
and  that  the  close  of  the  war  found  them  the  victors,  their  mis- 
sion was  not  one  of  conquest,  of  subjugation  and  oppression. 
We  went  forth  to  preserve  and  not  to  destroy,  and  while  suffer- 
ing was  necessarily  entailed  upon  the  people  we  overcame,  it 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  77 

was  only  such  as  was  unavoidably  incident  to  a  long  and  desper- 
ate war.  Never  perhaps  in  all  history  was  a  conquered  people 
treated  with  greater  magnanimity,  taking  all  the  circumstances 
into  consideration,  than  the  people  of  theSouth  by  the  loyal  North ; 
and  to-day  the  states  which  seceded  are  placed  upon  an  equal 
footing  with  their  sister  states  which  remained  true  to  the  Union; 
and  the  people  of  those  states  enjoy  all  the  advantages  of  citizen- 
ship enjoyed  by  the  people  of  any  part  of  our  country.  The 
result  is  everywhere  visible  all  over  the  South,  in  its  flourishing 
towns  and  prosperous  cities.  Capital  has  flowed  in  from  all  di- 
rections, and  people  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe  have  come  to 
make  their  homes  among  us.  And  thus  "the  waste  places  "are 
being  made  "to  blossom  as  the  rose."  Scarcely  any  traces  re- 
main in  all  the  South  to  show  that  a  conquering  army  ever 
marched  "from  Atlanta  to  the  sea,"  or  in  fact  that  any  army  ever 
crossed  its  borders,  except  that  the  sound  of  the  lash  and  the 
clanking  of  chains  are  forever  banished  from  the  land,  and  the 
sunlight  of  liberty  has  warmed  into  new  life  four  millions  of 
people  that  were  in  bondage.  And  I  think  I  may  presume  to 
say,  from  what  I  know  of  the  sentiments  of  southern  people,  that 
whatever  regrets  they  may  have  had  at  the  failure  of  the  "lost 
cause, "there  is  little  regret  now  that  slavery  is  forever  abolished, 
and  that  the  Union  was  preserved.  While  it  is  unfortunately 
true  that  some  of  the  old  bitter  feeling  still  remains  in  the  breasts 
of  many  of  the  Southern  people,  it  is  gradually  passing  away, 
and  I  am  satisfied  that  if  they  had  only  a  full,  realizing  sense  of 
the  kindly,  generous  feeling  entertained  for  them  by  the  North 
and  West,  and  especially  by  the  "boys  in  blue,"  the  last  vestige 
of  sectional  bitterness  would  utterly  disappear.  And  I  predict 
that  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  "stars  and  stripes"  will 
be  as  much  respected  floating  over  the  island  city  of  Key  West, 
overPensacola,  New  Orleans  and  Atlanta,  as  over  the  loyal  cities 
of  the  North,  and  should  the  emergency  ever  arise  in  our  day 
which  should  require  your  presence  again  in  the  field  in  defense 
of  the  old  flag,  a  million  willing  hands  and  strong  arms  of  the 
"boys  in  gray"  would  come  to  your  aid  and  vie  with  you  in  bear- 
ing it  on  to  victory,  and  in  adding  new  lustre  to  the  arms  of 
our  country. 

Possibly,  comrades,  I   may  be  a  little  too  fast  in  promising 
so  much  for  the  old  Confederates.      On  further  reflection  I  think 


78  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

I  am,  for  from  the  sentiments  I  have  heard  many  of  them  express, 
I  think  it  is  the  intention  of  everyone  of  them,  in  case  of  another 
war,  to  go  as  Quartermaster,  Commissary,  or  Sutler,  and  I  fear 
there  may  be  trouble  between  us,  because  those  are  the  very 
positions  we  want  for  ourselves. 

After  another  rousing  chorus,  the  President  announced  the 
sentiment:  "The  work  of  woman  on  the  lines  of  the  reserve  was 
an  essential  factor  in  the  success  of  the  Federal  army."  This 
was  responded  to  by  Rev.  G.  R.  Vanhorne,  of  battery  B,  (Tay- 
lor's) 1st  Illinois  artillery,  who  said: 

Comrades : — The  soldiers  of  this  Republic  owe  a  lasting  debt 
of  gratitude  to  the  loyal  women  of  this  country.  Their  devotion 
to  the  soldier  in  the  camp  and  in  the  field,  assured  his  success. 
And  if  the  history  of  the  war  for  the  union  could  be  painted  in  a 
picture  so  that  the  eye  could  see  the  relation  that  one  part  bears 
to  the  other,  all  through  that  picture  you  would  see  the  bright 
outlines  of  woman's  help,  woman's  influence,  woman's  sympathy 
woman's  devotion,  woman's  work,  'woman's  sacrifice,  woman's 
tears,  woman's  prayers,  and  woman's  love.  The  length,  charac- 
ter and  results  of  the  war  were  all  modified  by  the  part  the  loy- 
al women  of  the  north  took  in  that  conflict.  Eternity  alone  will 
reveal  how  much  the  army  was  strengthened,  the  sick  cheered, 
the  feeble  encouraged,  the  dying  comforted  by  these  godly  wom- 
en. Who  yet  has  been  able  to  express  how  much  the  govern- 
ment was  relieved  in  matters  of  finance,  sanitary  measures,  and 
commissary  supplies,  by  this  undivided  army  of  loyal  women  of 
the  nation?  Who  ever  has  been  able  to  weigh  the  influence  the 
loyal  sentiment  of  the  women  had  to  crush  out,  or  conceal  the 
disloyal  sentiment  that  would  otherwise  have  made  itself  hurtful 
and  obnoxious  in  society?  They  helped  by  all  possible  means 
to  "keep  up  the  enthusiasm,  or  to  rebuke  the  lukewarmness,  or 
check  the  despondency  and  apathy  which  at  times  settled  over 
the  people.  Men  were  ashamed  to  doubt  when  women  trusted, 
or  to  murmur  when  they  submitted,  or  to  do  little  when  they  did 
so  much." 

Allow  me  to  particularize  a  little,  comrades.  We  remember 
the  valuable  services  that  the  sanitary  commission  tendered  our 
boys  during  the  dark  days  of  the  war.  And  most  of  this  sanit- 
ary work,  at  least  at  home,  was  conducted  by  the  women.  They 
were  presidents,  secretaries,  treasurers  and  workers. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  79 

The  Northwestern  Sanitary  Commission  raised  in  money  and 
supplies  over  $1,000  000.  The  New  England  Women's  Auxiliary 
Association  raised  $1,515,000  in  money  and  supplies.  The  Wom- 
en's Central  Association  of  Relief,  with  its  headuarters  at  Coop- 
er Union,  N.  Y.,  distributed  nearly  300,000  shirts,  besides  an  in- 
numberable  amount  of  other  articles  and  money.  The  Pittsburg 
Sanitary  Fair  raised  $330,490,  and  during  this  time  the  Christian 
Commission  raised  the  sum  of  $59,000.  The  Buffalo  Branch  of 
the  Sanitary  Commission  sent  3,000  packages  to  Louisville,  and 
620  more  to  New  York.  They  cut  and  provided  material  at  their 
rooms  for  over  20,000  suits,  and  other  articles  for  the  army  am- 
ounting to  over  200,000  pieces.  Little  children,  mostly  girls  un- 
der twelve  years  of  age,  contributed  over  $12,000.  Not  a  single 
woman  that  managed  this  great  work  received  a  penny  for  her 
position  as  an  officer,  except  the  porter  who  had  charge  of  the 
rooms. 

At  the  "Soldier's  Rest,"  in  Chicago,  hundreds,  and  some- 
times thousands  of  our  comrades  were  supplied  with  warm  meals, 
and  with  lodgings  for  the  sick,  and  all  by  the  loyal  women  of 
Chicago.  At  the  two  large  refreshment  saloons  in  Philadel- 
phia they  cared  for  22, 000  sick  soldiers.  They  expended  $170,000 
aside  from  their  supplies,  and  gave  1,300,000  meals  to  the  boys 
in  blue.  At  all  hours  of  the  day  or  night,  in  sunshine  or  storm, 
all  the  years  through,  the  women  of  this  country  raised  over 
$15,000,000  in  carrying  forward  this  great  work  of  aiding  the 
soldiers  in  the  field,  in  camp,  or  in  the  hospital. 

How  much  of  a  burden  this  took  off  the  government.  The 
government  could  not  have  done  it  as  the  women  did  it.  They 
did  it  well.  And  to-day  we  call  upon  the  women  of  our  count- 
ry to  share  with  us  the  victory  they  helped  achieve,  and  every 
one  of  these  gallant  men  who  wore  the  blue  will  rise  up  and 
called  them  blessed. 

This  concluded  the  formal  program,  though  impromptu  and 
very  interesting  speeches,  in  answer  to  calls  by  the  comrades, 
were  made  by  Major  Butcher,  of  Oregon,  and  Col.  Clark  E. 
Carr,  of  Galesburg,  who,  during  the  war,  was  on  Gov.  Richard 
Yates'  staff.  He  paid  a  deserved  and  fitting  tribute  to  the  mem- 
ory of  Illinois'  old  war  Governor.  The  meeting  then  dispersed 
until  the  next  reunion,  all  having  expressed  themselves  as  high- 
ly pleased  with  the  gathering. 


80  SECOND    REUNION    OF    THE 

Among  the  incidental  and  pleasant  events  of  the  evening 
was  the  presentation  of  button-hole  bouquets,  which  were  dis- 
tributed among  those  present  with  the  request,  "Will  the  boys 
in  blue  of  the  Seventy-fourth  wear  these  and  oblige  the  giver, 
Clara  U.  Hart."  On  a  card  attached  to  the  basket  was,  "In 
memoriam  W.  H.  Urquhart,  Company  A,  Seventy-fourth  regi- 
ment Illinois  volunteers,"  killed  at  Stone  River. 


Proceedings  Third  Reunion 

September  4th,  1555,  PocKford,  Illinois 

PRESENT   120. 


BUSINESS   MEETING. 

A  business  meeting  of  the  Society  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Il- 
linois, was  held  at  Grand  Army  Hall,  and  was  called  to  order  by 
the  President  at  10:30  a.  m.  The  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  the 
year  previous  were  read  and  approved. 

Comrade  Hawthorne  stated  that  he  was  authorized  by  the 
members  of  Co.  G  and  the  citizens  of  Oregon,  to  extend  an  in- 
vitation to  the  members  of  the  Seventy-fourth  to  hold  the  next 
reunion  at  Oregon.  Upon  motion  the  invitation  was  unanimous- 
ly accepted,  and  the  time  fixed  for  September  4,  1886. 

The  Society  then  proceeded  to  the  election  of  officers  for  the 
ensuing  year,  and  the  following  were  declared  elected: 

JOSEPH  F.    HAWTHORNE,  President. 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

T.  J.  L.  Remington Company  A 

I.  S.  Sumner "  B 

C.  H.  C.  Dagwell "  C 

J.  H.Douglas "  D 

E.  Cosper "  E 

L.  J.  Fuller "  F 

Daniel  Farrill "  G 

Oscar  Franklin "  H 

W.  C.  Bokhof "  I 

A.  M.  Potter "  K 

E.   F.  DUTCHER,  Secretary. 

JOHN  MATMILLER,    Treasurer. 


82  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

Upon  motion,  it  was  decided  to  publish  a  complete  roster 
of  the  regiment,  with  a  short  history  of  each  of  its  members. 

The  following  committee  on  publication  was  appointed  by 
the  Chair. 

H.  P.  Holland. 

John  H.  Sherratt. 

C.  M.  Brazee. 

John  Beatson. 

M.  S.    Parmele. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Robert  Simpson,  H.  P.  Holland, 
and  John  H.  Sherratt,  was  appointed  to  report  at  the  next  meet- 
ing upon  the  proper  disposition  of  the  regimental  flags  and  ban- 
ner. 

Upon  further  motion  C.  M.  Brazee  was  requested  to  prepare 
for  the  next  meeting  a  paper  on  the  Pioneer  Corps  of  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland;  and  comrades  Robert  Simpson  and  John 
Beatson  were  appointed  to  prepare  articles,  the  first  on  the  siege 
of  Chattanooga  and  battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  the  latter  on  the 
Knoxville  campaign. 

The  treasurer  then  made  his  report.  The  report  was,  upon 
motion,  approved,  and  the  Society  adjourned. 

JOHN  H.   SHERRATT,  Secretary. 

AFTERNOON    SESSION. 

Upon  adjournment  of  the  business  meeting  at  G.  A.  R.  Hall, 
the  members  of  the  regiment  gathered  at  the  Fair  Grounds,  where 
a  picnic  dinner  was  enjoyed  with  their  families  and  friends. 

At  2:00  p.  m.  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Robert 
Simpson,  of  Co.  C,  who  stated  that  the  committee  of  arrange- 
ments had  requested  Hosmer  P.  Holland,  the  President  of  the 
Society,  to  make  some  remarks  upon  the  death  of  General  Grant. 
Mr.  Holland  then  spoke  as  follows: 

Comrades:  Since  our  last  meeting  an  event  has  occurred 
which  can  be  said  fairly  to  define  the  end  of  an  epoch  in  our  his- 
tory— the  period  of  war — and  the  beginning  of  a  new  era — of  re- 
conciliation and  peace.  I  refer  to  the  recent  death  of  General 
Grant.  To  a  people  -so  long  suffering  from  the  slowly  healing 
wounds  of  civil  conflict,  so  many  years  torn  by  the  passions  of 
fraternal  discord,  the  death  of  our  great  captain  has  been  of  no 
less  service  than  his  illustrious  life;  for  in  the  manner  and  cir 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  83 

cumstances  of  his  passing  away  there  was  everything  to  eradicate 
the  blind  resentments  of  the  partisan,  and  to  destroy  any  linger- 
ing seeds  of  revenge  in  the  hearts  of  men  who  could  still  be  sus- 
pected of  entertaining  sectional  hatred.  To  the  dying  soldier, 
walking  for  so  many  weeks  in  "the  Valley  of  the  Shadow,"  came 
again  at  the  last,  and  with  a  new  meaning,  the  blessed  evangel  de- 
livered by  the  Angels  of  the  Nativity,  now  more  than  1800  years 
ago,  to  simple  shepherds  keeping  their  lonely  vigils  on  the  plains 
ofjudea,  "On  earth  peace,  goodwill  toward  men."  It  is  not 
for  us — it  may  be  for  our  children  or  their  children — to  fix  Grant's 
place  in  the  rank's  of  the  world's  great  generals.  We  can  say, 
however,  that  he  will  not  be  among  the  group  of  conquerors 
where  stand  Alexander,  Caesar  and  Napoleon;  we  can  believe 
that  it  will  be  in  a  glorious  company  of  peacemakers — with  Cin- 
cinnatus,  Charlemagne  and  Washington.  To  the  survivors  of 
the  Seventy-fourth  it  must  always  be  a  subject  of  pride  that  their 
regiment  was  engaged  in  that  most  brilliant  campaign  of  the  war 
which  culminated  in  the  actions  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  Mis- 
sion Ridge,  the  latter,  as  Gen.  Halleck  said,  "the  most  gallant 
feat  of  arms  for  an  hundred  years,"  and  the  only  campaign  in 
which  together  took  part  the  four  Federal  generals  who  deserv- 
edly won  the  highest  reputations,  namely,  Grant,  Thomas,  Sher. 
man  and  Sheridan.  The  results  of  this  campaign  settled  many 
questions,  and  chief  among  them  who  should  be  found  to  cope 
with  Lee  in  Virginia.  To  command  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
had  been,  for  the  majority  of  our  generals  who  had  undertaken 
the  task,  to  dig  the  graves  of  their  military  reputations,  and  a 
splendid  army  had  been  constantly  defeated,  or  at  least  checked, 
because  no  officer  had  been  able  to  meet,  with  success,  the  strat- 
egy of  the  ablest  Confederate  general.  And  so  it  came  to  pass 
that,  out  of  the  smoke  and  turmoil  of  that  historic  charge,  where 
20,000  veterans  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  advancing  in  four 
lines,  deploying  as  they  moved  forward,  assaulted  three  miles  of 
the  rugged  hillside  on  that  bright  November  day  twenty-two 
years  ago,  there  emerged  the  great  commander,  to  whose  lot  it 
fell,  less  than  eighteen  months  after,  to  receive  the  surrender  of 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  and  bring  the  war  to  its  close. 
It  is  to  be  observed  that  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, as  in  every  other  field  of  action,  General  Grant  had  no  part 
in  the  many  intrigues,  of  which  Washington  was  the  center, 


84 

whose  objects  were  to  make  or  unmake  the  reputations  of  gener- 
als, military  or  political.  A  man  more  constant  to  his  purpose, 
more  self-reliant,  more  inflexible  in  resolution,  we  cannot  find  in 
history.  Silent  as  the  Prince  of  Orange,  steadfast  as  the  Iron 
Duke,  he  pushed  his  battallions  forward,  giving  no  heed  to  the 
superficial  criticisms  of  the  all-wise  newspaper  correspondents, 
who  infested  the  rear  of  his  armies  like  so  many  flies  hanging 
upon  the  flanks  of  a  noble  horse.  A  gentleman  who  was  an  offi- 
cer in  a  Vermont  regiment  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  refer- 
ring to  the  time  when  Grant  assumed  direction  of  the  operations 
against  Lee,  relates  that  in  his  first  engagement  with  Confederate 
troops,  our  forces  were  checked  and  very  severely  handled,  his 
own  regiment  especially  sustaining  an  exceptionally  heavy  loss; 
and  when  night  brought  an  end  to  the  battle,  the  Federal  army 
was  so  worsted,  that  all  believed  a  retreat  would  be  ordered  at 
once.  Instead  of  that,  dawn  of  the  following  day  brought  the 
direction  for  an  immediate  advance;  and  then,  as  the  narrator 
says,  "  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  felt  that  it  had  at  last  found  a 
master." 

An  element  of  General  Grant's  success  was  his  certainty  of 
judgment  in  selecting  subordinates.  A  notable  example  of  this 
was  his  assignment  of  Sheridan  to  the  command  of  that  portion 
of  the  Federal  forces  operating  in  the  valley  of  Virginia,  where, 
hitherto,  the  Confederate  army  had  met  with  almost  uninterrupt- 
ed success.  From  the  day  Sheridan  assumed  direction  of  affairs 
along  the  Shenandoah  all  this  was  changed,  and  the  movements 
and  engagements  of  his  troops,  acting  in  conformity  to  a  well 
defined  plan,  were  an  essential  element  in  the  successful  issue 
of  direct  operations  by  the  main  army  under  Grant. 

The  march  of  Sherman's  army  through  Georgia,  and  the 
campaign  of  Thomas  against  Hood,  resulting  in  the  dispersion 
of  the  Confederate  forces,  are  further  examples  of  Grant's 
sagacious  choice  of  lieutenants.  An  admirable  trait  of  Grant 
was  the  extreme  simplicity  of  his  character  and  his  freedom  from 
egotism.  Unusually  frank  and  open  in  his  intercourse,  he  so 
fully  appreciated  the  gravity  of  his  responsibilities,  that  silence, 
like  a  shield,  protected  him  in  hiding  his  plans  from  the  peering 
eyes  of  ubiquitous  correspondents,  with  whom  he  was  no  favor- 
ite, and  to  whom,  less  than  most  men,  he  owed  reputation.  No 
man  will  claim  for  General  Gr^nt  great  mental  gifts  or  excep- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  85 

tional  acquirements.  He  was  not  even  a  business  man,  as  that 
term  is  now  used.  He  had  not  the  art  of  making  money;  and 
any  day  you  can  pass  upon  our  streets  half  a  dozen  men  with 
narrow  foreheads  and  small  eyes  burning  with  the  lust  of  gain, 
any  one  of  whom  accumulates  in  a  month  more  of  this  world's 
riches  than  such  a  man  as  Grant  could  gather  in  a  year.  To  each 
his  place:  to  this  one,  "the  gold  that  gilds  the  straightened 
forehead  of  the  fool,"  to  our  General,  the  well  earned  fame  of 
bringing  peace  to  the  fatherland.  It  was  a  thought  of  Grant's, 
and  one  that  has  crossed  many  other  minds,  that,  great  as  may 
be  the  evil  of  war,  nothing  could  so  cement  our  restored  Union 
as  that  we  should  be  engaged  in  hostilities  with  some  foreign 
power.  In  that  day  the  veterans  of  either  army  would  stand 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  and  one  to  the  other  might  say,  as  of  old 
spoke  Sir  Simon  of  the  Lee  to  good  Lord  James,  of  Douglas, 

"  But  if  in  battle  front,  comrade, 
"Tis  ours  once  more  to  ride  ; 
Nor  force  of  man  nor  craft  of  fiend 
Shall  cleve  me  from  thy  side." 

In  his  last  days,  suffering  as  he  did,  knowing  that  his  hours 
were  numbered,  the  silent  soldier's  thought  was  not  of  war  and 
fame,  but  of  wife  and  children.  Napoleon,  at  St.  Helena,  with 
his  dying  breath,  muttered,  "The  head  of  the  army."  To  Stone- 
wall Jackson,  wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  passing  away  in  the 
field  hospital,  came  no  thought  of  the  second  day's  battle,  whose 
guns  were  sounding  in  his  ears,  but  closing  his  tired  eyes  he 
simply  said,  "Let  us  cross  over  the  river  and  rest  under  the  shade 
of  the  trees. "  One  by  one  the  great  figures  of  the  war  are  crossing 
through  the  shadow,  over  the  river  and  into  the  light  beyond. 
And,  as  they  pass  away,  let  us  bury  in  their  hallowed  graves  not 
only  the  dust  which  confined  their  immortal  spirits,  but  all  the 
animosities  engendered  in  the  years  of  conflict.  These  men 
knew  what  war  meant;  that  it  was  a  bloody  trade,  and  could  not 
too  soon  come  to  an  end.  They  were  too  magnanimous  to  have 
any  of  that  blind  rage  which  has  been  so  aptly  described  as  "the 
fury  of  the  non-combatant."  To  the  dead  on  either  side  our 
charity  will  say,  "God  give  you  rest;  all  is  well  with  the  father- 
land." 

In  conclusion,  permit  me,  as  a  thing  appropriate  to  the  oc- 
casion, to  read  you  these  lines,  which  appeared  in  a  New  York 


86  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

illustrated  paper  in  connection  with  a  notice  of  the  visit  of  Gen. 
Buckner  to  Grant  at  Mount  MaGregor: 

For  those  who  fought  the  war  is  done; 

For  them  life's  evening  sky 
Grows  tender  o'er  a  setting  sun 

Where  fires  of  anger  die. 
Toward  the  mountains  of  the  West 

They  look  with  peaceful  sight  ; 
The  storm  they  braved  has  sunk  to  rest 

Into  forgetful  night. 

From  foe  to  friend — from  foe  to  friend! 

O  consecrated  years, 
How  have  ye  worked  toward  this  end 

Through  myriad   doubts  and  fears! 
The  baud  that  laid  the  sword  aside 

Now  seeks  the  conqueror's  hand — 
Friends?  They  are  sharers  in  one  pride, 

And  lovers  of  one  land. 

O  meaner  folk,  of  narrower  souls, 

Heirs  of  ignoble  thought, 
Stir  not  the  camp-fires  blackened  coals 

Blood-drenched  by  those  who  fought; 
Lest  out  of  heaven  a  fire  shall  yet 

Bear  God's  own  vengeance  forth 
On  those  who  once  again  would  set 

Discord  'twixt  South  and  North. 

The  President  then  read  the  following  letter  from  Sergeant 
Edward  Black,  of  Co.  A,  and  stated  that  in  the  absence  of  Mr. 
Black,  Captain  John  H.  Sherratt  would  read  what  Mr.  Black 
had  prepared  for  the  occasion. 

JESUP,  Iowa,  August  27th,  1885. 

Comrades  of  the  Seventy-fourth:  By  request  of  your  committee 
I  contribute  a  sketch  of  the  campaign  which  resulted  in  the  oc- 
cupation of  Chattanooga  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1863.  At 
your  last  reunion  comrade  Sherratt  contributed  an  excellent  ar- 
ticle on  our  first  campaign  from  Louisville,  Ky.,  to  Murfrees- 
boro,  Tenn.  That  the  thread  of  history  may  not  be  broken,  I 
commence  this  sketch  where  he  leaves  off,  viz  :  Battlefield  of 
Stone  River.  The  subject  is  too  vast  for  my  poor  pen;  and  well 
knowing  the  imperfections  of  this  sketch,  I  crave  your  leniency, 
and  hope  that  among  so  many  of  you  who  are  better  fitted  to  do 
this  than  myself,  there  may  be  at  least  one  to  go  over  the  same 
ground  and  give  us  a  history  of  this  campaign  worth)'  of  the 
Seventy-fourth  regiment.  With  best  wishes  for  a  pleasant  re- 
union, I  am,  Your  comrade,  E.  BLACK. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  87 

TULLAHOMA  AND   CHICKAMAUGA  CAMPAIGN. 

BY    EDWARD    BLACK. 

The  morning  of  January  4th,  1863,  found  us  upon  the  his- 
toric field  of  Stone  River,  amid  the  wreck  and  desolation  of  that 
mighty  struggle.  On  every  side  were  evidences  of  the  terrible 
conflict.  Fences,  timber  and  buildings  were  battered  and  torn, 
as  though  a  destructive  tornado  had  passed  over  the  field;  broken 
wagons,  caissons  and  ambulances  strewed  the  roads  and  fields; 
thousands  of  muskets  and  accoutrements  lay  scattered  about, 
thrown  down  by  those  who  were  killed  or  wounded.  Hundreds 
of  horses  lay  dead,  reminding  us  that  the  demon  war  was  not 
satisfied  even  with  human  blood.  Of  our  comrades  who  march- 
ed with  us  out  of  our  camps  at  Nashville  but  one  week  ago, 
1,533  lay  cold  in  death,  while  upwards  of  7,000  of  our  fellows 
were  writhing  with  their  wounds  in  the  temporary  hospitals,  or 
uncared  for  upon  the  field,  At  least  an  equal  number  of  the  en- 
emy were  also  killed  or  wounded.  We  were  here  brought  face  to 
face  with  the  terrible  realities  of  war,  and  I  think  it  may  be  safely 
said  that  to  none  was  the  picture  a  pleasant  one.  Youthful  and 
enthusiastic  soldiers  that  we  were  we  had  enough  of  the  glory  of 
war,  and  had  the  contest  been  ended  so  that  we  might  have  re- 
turned to  our  homes  honorably,  would  have  embraced  the  op- 
portunity gladly.  We  had  now  been  soldiers  for  a  matter  of  four 
months,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  we  had  up  to  this  time  realized  the 
full  import  of  soldiering,  or  what  might  be  required  of  us. 

That  beautiful  Sabbath  day  was  devoted  to  burying  the  dead 
and  caring  for  the  wounded,  friend  and  foe  alike,  thus  obliter- 
ating, as  far  as  might  be,  the  scars  of  battle.  Late  the  same 
evening  our  command  was  marched  across  the  river,  and  moved 
two  miles  south  of  Murfreesboro  into  what  proved  to  be  quite  a 
permanent  camp.  Here  we  remained  until  April,  1863. 

General  order  No,  168  of  the  war  department,  dated  Octo- 
ber 24th,  1862,  had  erected  into  the  Department  of  the  Cumber- 
land all  that  portion  of  the  Tennessee  lying  east  of  the  Tennes- 
see river,  and  such  portions  of  Alabama  and  Georgia  as  might 
be  thereafter  occupied  by  the  United  States' forces.  The  troops, 
then  nearly  one  year  under  Gen.  Buell  and  called  the  Army  of 
the  Ohio,  were  by  the  same  order  designated  as  the  Fourteenth 
army  corps,  and  Gen.  Rosecrans  assigned  to  the  command. 


88  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

Thus  the  army  had,  until  after  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  been 
known  as  the  Fourteenth  army  corps,  divided  and  commanded  as 
follows:  center,  Gen.  Geo.  H.  Thomas;  right  wing,  Gen.  Aleck 
McCook;  left  wing,  Gen.  Crittenden.  On  the  9th  of  January 
there  was  a  reorganization  by  which  the  center,  under  Gen. 
Thomas,  was  designated  as  the  Fourteenth  corps,  while  the  right 
and  left  wings  were  respectively  numbered  the  Twentieth  and 
Twenty-first  corps,  under  Generals  McCook  and  Crittenden. 
This  did  not  affect  us  in  any  way,  nor  change  our  officers.  Thus 
Gen.  McCook  commanded  our  corps,  the  Twentieth;  Gen.  Davis 
our  division,  the  First;  and  Col.  Post  our  brigade,  also  the  First. 
The  Fffty-ninth  and  Seventy-fifth  Illinois,  and  Twenty-second  In- 
diana regiments,  with  the  Fifth  Wisconsin  battery,  were  our  com- 
panions, and  with  the  Seventy-fourth  formed  the  First  brigade  of 
Jeff.  C.  Davis'  division. 

After  becoming  settled  in  camp,  our  time,  during  January, 
was  occupied  with  the  regular  routine  of  camp  duties,  such  as 
picket,  camp  guard,  an  occasional  trip  outside  the  lines  to  escort 
forage  trains,  etc.  The  camp  proved  to  be  poorly  chosen,  as  it 
was  quite  unhealthy,  many  being  sent  away  sick  to  hospitals, 
while  several  deaths  occurred  in  the  regiment. 

On  or  about  February  1st,  the  division  was  ordered  out  in 
pursuit  of  Confederate  raiders,  in  the  vicinity  of  Eagleville  or 
Triune.  While  on  the  move  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  few 
who  were  present  will  forget  our  night  march  in  a  furious  rain 
storm  from  Eagleville  to  Triune.  Gen.  Steadman  had  moved 
down  from  Nashville  to  Triune  on  the  same  errand  which  we 
were  upon.  Unknown  to  us  he  had  pickets  within  three  miles 
of  Eagleville.  Running  into  them  about  10  o'clock  p.  m.,  we 
supposed  they  were  rebels,  while  they  had  the  same  opinion  of 
ourselves.  Skirmishers  were  thrown  out,  and  they  were  steadily 
pressed  back  until  near  Triune  where  Gen.  Steadman's  entire 
command  had  been  called  out,  and  were  awaiting  us  in  battle  line. 
Gen.  Davis  accidentally  discovered  who  they  were,  and  was  there- 
by enabled  to  make  himself  known  when  mutual  explanations 
followed,  and  we  were  allowed  to  move  into  camp  just  at  day- 
light. 

To  many  this  was  the  most  uncomfortable  night  spent  in 
the  army.  Thoroughly  soaked  with  the  rain  of  the  day  and  night 
previous,  sleepy,  tired,  cross,  allowed  to  move  but  a  few  steps  at 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  89 

a  time,  was  it  any  wonder  that  the  Twenty-second  boys  rallied 
Gen.  Davis  about  the  cow  they  said  he  had  stolen  from  a  widow 
in  Missouri.  He  was  asked  if  she  had  picked  up  a  gravel  in  her 
foot,  causing  her  to  go  lame,  thus  retarding  the  march.  .  It  was 
suggested  to  the  general  that  he  had  better  milk  her,  to  have  her 
shod,  put  in  an  ambulance,  send  her  home,  make  soup  of  her,  etc. , 
all  of  which  advice,  offered  gratis  to  the  general  as  he  passed  and 
repassed  us  in  the  pitchy  darkness,  was  treated  with  the  silent 
contempt  which  it  deserved.  After  remaining  a  few  days  at 
Triune,  the  division  moved  over  to  Franklin.  Here  we  remain- 
ed until  February  12th.  One  of  the  incidents  which  occurred 
here  was  the  search  made  by  the  provost  guards  resulting  in  the 
discovery  of  a  lot  of  stolen  crockery  ware  in  the  beds  of  some  of 
the  Seventy-fourth  officers.  These  were  a  tough  lot  of  scamps, 
and  the  more  respectable  members  of  the  regiment  were  just  a 
little  careful  about  associating  with  them  thereafter.  Another  in~ 
cident,  not  quite  so  funny  for  those  who  took  a  leading  part  in 
it  at  least,  was  the  whipping  of  five  cavalrymen  who  had  commit- 
ted some  depredations  that  Gen.  Davis  did  not  approve  of.  The 
division  was  paraded  on  the  field  just  south  of  the  old  cotton  gin, 
which  all  will  remember  who  were  afterwards  present  at  the 
battle  of  Franklin.  The  culprits  were  stripped  of  their  uniforms, 
tied  behind  a  wagon  and  the  lash  well  laid  on.  Afterward  they 
were  drummed  out  of  camp,  with  orders  not  to  be  caught  inside 
our  lines  again. 

About  Feburary  15th  we  arrived  back  at  the  old  camp 
south  of  Murfreesboro.  In  April  we  moved  to  a  more  healthy 
location  near  town.  As  the  weather  became  fine,  company  and 
battallion  drill  relieved  daily  the  monotony  of  camp  life.  It  was 
also  considered  the  proper  thing  for  the  health  of  the  men  to  give 
them  frequent  and  abundant  exercise  upon  the  fortifications  then 
being  erected.  During  May  a  system  of  picket,  or  outpost  by 
regiments  or  brigades,  was  inaugurated,  and,  on  our  first  trip 
out,  we  were  stationed  at  Stone  River  Bridge,  on  the  Shelby- 
ville  Pike,  the  Seventy-fourth  being  alone.  After  being  out 
several  days  our  sutler,  who  had  been  left  in  camp,  pitying  our 
lonely  condition,  brought  out  a  wagon  load  of  delicacies  which 
he  at  once  proceeded  to  sell  at  town  prices.  However,  there  be- 
ing no  competition,  and  the  goods  going  off  freely,  it  was  decided 
to  advance  the  price  of  certain  articles.  This  plan  was  not  re- 


90  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

ceived  with  favor  by  his  patrons,  and  soon  murmurs  of  dissatis- 
faction were  heard  which  grew  louder  and  louder,  until  the  afore- 
said patrons  became  a  howling,  infuriated  mob,  thirsting  for  the 
sutler's  goods,  if  not  for  his  blood.  Disregarding  all  rights  of 
property,  they  tore  the  cover  and  wheels  from  the  wagon,  making 
themselves  masters  of  the  outfit  in  a  moment,  and  then  distrib- 
uted the  goods  to  suit  themselves.  Guards  were  called  and 
order  soon  restored,  but  the  entire  stock  had  been  disposed  of. 
Our  next  outpost  duty  was  with  the  entire  brigade  at  Butler's 
Hill,  five  miles  south  of  town.  While  here,  you  will  remember 
we  had  the  pleasure  of  wishing  Mr.  Vallandigham,  of  Ohio, 
adieu,  as  he  took  his  departure  for  the  Confederacy. 

On  June  24th,  the  entire  army  commenced  the  forward 
movement  on  the  rebel  stronghold  at  Tullahoma,  The  twen- 
tieth army  corps,  Gen.  McCook's,  having  the  right,  Sheridan's 
division,  with  a  mounted  force,  moving  directly  south  towards 
Shelbyville,  Davis'  and  Johnson's  divisions  on  his  left  by  way 
of  Millersburg  and  Liberty  Gap,  Gen.  Thomas,  with  the  four- 
teenth corps,  taking  the  road  through  Hoover's  Gap,  Beech 
Grove  and  Manchester,  while  Crittenden's  corps,  the  Twenty- 
first,  made  a  wide  detour  to  the  left,  by  way  of  McMinnville  and 
eventually  to  Hillsboro,  Pelham  and  Tracy  City.  Let  me  here 
say  that  a  relentless  fate  in  the  shape  of  rain  seemed  to  pursue 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  whenever  a  move  was  attempted. 
It  was  so  in  this  case,  and  before  we  had  marched  an  hour  the 
rain  came  pouring  down.  A  short  distance  below  Millersburg 
the  enemy's  outposts  were  met,  and  skirmishing  went  on  briskly 
until  late  in  the  evening.  During  the  25th,  Gen.  Johnson,  who 
had  charge  of  operations,  (Gen.  Davis  being  sick)  was  satisfied 
to  hold  what  he  had  gained.  I  suppose  it  was  part  of  the  plan 
to  give  the  mounted  force,  which  had  accompanied  Gen.  Sher- 
idan, an  opportunity  to  swing  upon  their  rear.  It  seems,  how- 
ever, that  they  were  unable  to  do  this,  as  on  the  morning  of  the 
26th  the  divisions  of  Davis  and  Johnson  moved  forward.  About 
noon  the  rebel  position  was  developed,  and  shortly  after  was  at- 
tacked by  Johnson's  division,  who  found  the  enemy  much  strong- 
er than  expected.  Davis'  division  was  ordered  up,  when  the 
rebels  were  handsomely  driven.  Meantime  Sheridan  had  work- 
ed his  way  well  down  to  Shelbyville,  upon  our  right,  while 
Wilder's  mounted  brigade  had  occupied  Hoover's  Gap,  upon 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  91 

our  left,  defeating  a  superior  rebel  force  in  a  strong  position, 
thus  opening  the  way  for  Gen.  Thomas  to  move  forward  to 
Beech  Grove  and  Manchester.  The  Union  loss  was  forty  killed 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  wounded.  These  gaps  were  the  key 
to  the  Confederate  position  at  Tullahoma,  and  their  capture  by 
Gen.  Rosecrans  permitted  him  to  completely  flank  that  position 
by  way  of  Manchester  and  Winchester,  thus  compelling  Bragg 
to  retreat  over  the  Cumberland  mountains,  or  be  attacked  in 
flank  and  rear.  Bragg  evacuated  on  July  1st,  and  was  closely 
pursued  by  Thomas  from  Manchester,  and  by  McCook  from  the 
vicinity  of  Tullahoma.  By  a  great  exertion  Bragg  was  able  to 
escape  with  his  baggage  and  reserve  artillery  across  Elk  river, 
near  Estelle  Springs.  During  this  time  Crittenden  was  not  idle, 
having  moved  down  from  McMinnville  to  Hillsboro,  thus  com- 
ing withing  supporting  distance  of  Gen.  Thomas.  He  was  sent 
forward  with  all  haste  to  take  possession  of  the  road  leading  from 
Decherd  to  Tracy  City.  In  this  he  was  successful,  and  this 
forced  the  enemy  to  take  the  roads  leading  directly  over  the 
mountain,  instead  of  the  short  route  by  way  of  Tracy  City  and 
Sequatchie  Valley  to  Chattanooga.  McCook  was  able  to  cross 
the  Elk  at  Rock  Creek  by  the  2nd,  and  on  July  4th  the  entire 
army  was  able  to  stand  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Cumberland 
mountains.  Thus  we  see  that  in  but  little  over  a  week  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland  had  made  a  permanent  advance  of,  say,  sixty 
miles,  forcing  an  enemy  of  nearly  or  quite  equal  numbers  out  of 
a  chosen  and  carefully  fortified  position,  compelling  him  to  re- 
treat over  the  mountains  in  such  haste  that  he  was  unable  to  de- 
stroy the  railroad,  more  than  to  burn  the  bridges.  Brilliant  as 
was  this  victory,  though  a  comparatively  bloodless  one,  it  cuts 
but  little  figure  in  history,  being  overshadowed  by  the  great  and 
costly  victories  at  Gettysburg  and  Vicksburg,  occurring  at  the 
same  time. 

We  have  now  followed  the  army  down  to  the  mountains, 
and  will  go  back  to  Liberty  Gap  where  we  left  Johnson  and 
Davis's  divisions.  On  the  morning  of  June  28th,  Davis's  division 
was  ordered  over  to  the  road  leading  to  Hoover's  Gap,  and  by 
that  route  to  follow  the  command  of  Gen.  Thomas  to  Manches- 
ter. We  reached  and  camped  at  Beech  Grove  the  same  even- 
ing, and  late  on  the  eve  of  the  29th,  reached  Duck  river.  On 
the  30th  we  were  supposed  to  rest.  Few  enjoyed  their  rest,  as 


92  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

we  were  camped  on  low,  swampy  ground.  Rain  fell  in  the  reg- 
ular Tennessee  style  until  our  tents  were  flooded,  and  the  camp 
bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  a  musk  rat  pond.  On  July  1st, 
the  Seventy-fourth,  with  a  part  of  the  Thirty-ninth  Indiana,  was 
ordered  to  escort  a  supply  train  back  to  Murfreesboro,  which  we 
did,  reaching  Murfreesboro  on  July  3d.  Our  route  lay  through 
a  district  known  as  the  Black  Swamp,  which  the  continuous  rains 
had  turned  into  a  bog.  Many  of  the  wagons  were  loaded  with 
knapsacks  and  the  surplus  clothing  of  the  men.  All  had  to  be 
sacrificed,  as  it  was  with  the  greatest  efforts  that  we  were  able 
to  get  the  empty  wagons  through  the  mud.  The  knapsacks, 
containing  the  clothing  and  little  trinkets  and  keepsakes  of  the 
men,  were  thrown  into  piles  and  burned.  It  seemed  like  sacri- 
lege, and  I  am  sure  that  the  men  of  the  Seventy-fourth  were 
never  called  upon  to  do  anything  that  went  so  much  against  the 
grain.  In  this  knapsack  was  the  bible  given  by  a  loving  mother 
to  an  only  son;  or  in  that  one  the  portraits  of  the  wife  and  little 
ones  who  had  sent  a  husband  and  father  to  fight  for  home  and 
country.  However,  we  could  indulge  in  no  sentiment  over  these 
things,  and  all  were  destroyed.  July  4th  was  duly  celebrated  at 
Murfreesboro.  At  noon  100  guns  boomed  their  thunderous  joy 
in  honor  of  the  victories  at  Gettysburg  and  Vicksburg,  which 
was,  even  at  that  moment,  being  entered  by  the  Union  forces 
under  Gen.  Grant. 

The  train  being  loaded  we  got  an  early  start  on  the  morning 
of  the  5th,  and  reached  Shelbyville  the  same  evening.  Here  was 
the  end  of  the  turnpike,  or  macadamized  road,  and  the  beginning 
of  our  real  troubles  with  that  train.  As  I  write,  visions  of  un- 
fathomable mud  rise  before  me.  Miles  of  the  road  between  War- 
trace  and  Estelle  Springs  had  to  be  corduroyed  by  laying  in 
fence  rails,  and,  when  they  failed,  by  cutting  timber  and  throw- 
ing it  in.  The  labor  required  seems  incredible,  and  it  is  still 
a  wonder  how  we  succeeded  in  getting  through.  While  at  work 
on  an  unusually  bad  spot,  a  would-be  literary  soldier  had  oc- 
casion to  make  the  quotation  "ignorance  is  bliss."  An  auswer 
came  promptly  (I  think  from  Lieut.  A.  H.  Beattie, )  "Yes, 
ignorance  of  a  corduroy  road,  for  instance."  This  application 
just  then  seemed  like  an  inspiration,  and  it  is  yet  present  when 
unpleasant  duties  are  to  be  performed.  Bad  language,  I  regret 
to  say,  was  the  rule  among  army  teamsters,  but  on  this  trip  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  93 

situation  was  so  appalling  that  they  seemed  to  lose  their  grip  on 
cuss  words,  and  spoke  even  gently  and  caressingly  to  the  patient 
mules,  as  they  urged  them  to  greater  efforts.  However,  we  got 
through  in  someway,  and  on  the  evening  of  July  10th,  joined  our 
brigade  and  division,  which  had  gone  into  camp  near  Winchester. 
Here  we  remained  about  six  weeks,  very  pleasantly  located. 
While  here,  blackberries,  then  ripe,  were  added  to  our  bill  of 
fare  with  beneficial  results,  as,  when  we  left  the  place,  not 
a  man  of  the  regiment  was  sick  or  unable  to  march.  Our 
time  at  Winchester  was  profitably  spent  in  battallion  and  brigade 
drill,  so  that  ere  we  moved  from  this  camp  we  could  boast  of  be- 
ing the  most  perfect  in  drill  of  any  organization  in  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland.  For  this  result  thanks  are  due  to  that  superb 
soldier,  Gen.  Post,  our  brigade  commander.  I  often  think  how 
very  fortunate  the  men  of  the  Seventy-fourth  were  in  their  su- 
perior officers.  'Twas  our  fortune  to  have  placed  over  us  the 
greatest  and  best  among  the  officers  which  the  war  produced.  I 
might  mention  a  long  list  of  illustrious  names  in  this  connection, 
for  all  of  whom  we  had,  and  still  have,  the  greatest  respect. 
Yet  among  them  all  Gen.  Post  will  always  hold  first  place  in  our 
hearts.  He  took  us,  rude,  ignorant  boys,  ignorant  of  everything 
military  at  least,  and  with  kind,  patient,  although  sometimes 
strict  discipline,  he  made  us  soldiers, — men.  Others  we  must 
and  do  respect.  Him  we  love. 

Upon  his  retreat  over  the  mountains,  Bragg  at  once  collected 
his  army  near  Chattanooga,  upon  the  south  side  of  the  Tennessee 
river.  Thither  Gen.  Rosecrans  determined  to  follow  him,  and 
wrest  from  his  grasp  that  strategic  point.  Early  in  August  the 
advance,  which  had  closely  pursued  Bragg  over  the  mountains, 
had  the  railroad  repaired,  and  supplies  were  sent  forward  to 
Stevenson,  Ala.,  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Orders  for  an  advance 
were  issued  on  Aug.  16th,  and  next  day  Davis's  Division  com- 
menced the  movement  over  the  mountains,  All  day  of  the  18th 
we  toiled  getting  the  trains  and  artillery  up  the  steepmountain  side. 
This  accomplished  we  were  ready  for  an  early  start  on  the  19th 
As  earlyas  3:00o'clocka.m.,the  bugles  sounded,  and  soonthemen 
were  on  the  march,  making  a  distance  of  a  perhaps  ten  miles  by 
sunrise.  By  8:00o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  had  crossed  the  Alaba- 
ma State  line,  which  was  here  marked  by  a  slab  of  stone.  As  the 
troops  crossed  the  line,  the  martial  bands,  as  well  as  the  voices  of 


94  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

the  men,  made  the  welkin  ring  with  the  then  popular  air  of 
"Down  in  Alabam."  About  noon  we  reached  the  point  where 
we  were  to  descend  the  mountain  to  the  valley  of  Big  Coon  Creek. 
Here  we  had  to  assist  the  trains  down  the  mountain,  but  this  was 
soon  accomplished,  and  we  proceeded  down  the  valley,  reaching 
the  Sweet  Water  Springs  (sometimes  called  Birmingham)  at 
sunset.  The  distance  we  had -marched  during  the  day  was  esti- 
mated at  forty-two  miles,  and  was  the  longest  march  made  in  one 
day  during  our  period  of  service.  It  was,  from  any  information 
I  have,  the  longest  day's  march  made  by  any  body  of  troops 
during  the  war;  and  when  the  fact  became  generally  known  in 
the  army,  our  brigade  was  christened  "Post's  Greyhounds." 

On  the  morning  of  August  20th,  the  division  moved  down 
to  the  Crow  Creek  bridge,  near  Stephenson,  Ala.,  where  they 
remained  until  preparations  were  made  to  cross  the  Tennessee 
river. 

Johnson's  division  had  moved  by  way  of  Salem  and  Larkin's 
Fork  to  Bellefonte,  where  they  were  joined  by  the  cavalry  under 
Gen.  Stanley,  which  had  gone  around  the  mountains  byway  of 
Fayetteville  and  Huntsville.  Sheridan's  division  was  among 
the  first  troops  that  had  crossed  the  mountain  during  July  or 
early  in  August,  and  were  now  at  Bridgeport.  The  Fourteenth 
corps,  under  Gen.  Thomas,  had  moved  down  the  railroad  from 
Decherd,  and  were  now  in  the  vicinity  of  Bridgeport.  Critten- 
den's  command  moved  across  by  the  more  easy  route  from  Tracy 
City,  through  the  Sequatchie  Valley  to  Jasper,  where  his  troops 
now  were,  except  Wagner's  and  Hazen's  brigades  of  infantry, 
and  Minty's  and  Wilder's  brigades  of  mounted  men,  which  had 
been  sent  to  a  point  opposite  Chattanooga.  Appearing  there 
they  shelled  the  town  vigorously,  creating  the  greatest  excite- 
ment, even  causing  Cumberland  Gap  to  be  evacuated,  and  the 
troops  stationed  there  to  be  called  to  Chattanooga.  By  the  25th 
of  August,  the  entire  army,  except  perhaps  the  reserves,  under 
Gen.  Gordon  Granger,  were  upon  the  north  bank  of  the  Tennes- 
see river,  between  and  including  Huntsville  and  Chattanooga. 
On  the  27th,  two  brigades  of  Gen.  Davis's  division  moved  to  Cap- 
erton's  Ferry,  below  Stevenson,  and  succeeded  in  gaining  a  foot- 
hold on  the  south  bank  with  a  small  force.  At  once  the  work 
of  laying  a  pontoon  bridge  began,  and  by  the  29th  it  was  ready 
for  the  troops  to  cross.  Meantime  other  bridges  had  been  built 


SEVENTY- FOURTH  ILL.  REGIMENT.  95 

at  Bridgeport  and  Shell  Mound.  The  work  of  crossing  was 
pushed  with  all  possible  speed,  the  passage  of  the  entire  force 
occupying  three  days.  You  will  remember  that  our  brigade  cross- 
ed at  Caperton's  on  the  30th,  and  the  following  day,  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  division,  moved  forward  over  the  Sand  Mountain 
range,  with  a  view  of  reaching  Valley  Head,  Ala.,  thus  com- 
manding Winston's  Gap  before  the  Confederates  were  aware  of 
our  intention.  This  we  succeeded  in  doing,  reaching  Valley 
Head  on  September  4th.  This  crossing  at  Caperton's  was  our 
first  experience  with  the  army  pontoon  bridge.  This  structure 
was  said  to  be  about  1,500  feet  in  length.  If  memory  serves  me, 
the  flooring  was  ten  feet  in  width,  resting  upon  barges  eighteen 
feet  long  and,  say,  four  feet  wide,  placed  twelve  feet  apart  (that 
is  from  centers).  The  swift  current  of  the  great  river  had  caused 
a  bend  in  the  bridge  about  midway  of  the  stream.  Yet  the 
troops,  animals,  ammunition,  baggage,  wagons  and  artillery  of 
this  portion  of  the  army  crossed  in  safety  over  that  frail  structure. 
We  read  in  the  history  of  Mexico  that  Cortez,  upon  landing, 
burned  his  ships,  that  his  soldiers  might  fight  more  bravely, 
knowing  they  had  no  means  of  retreat.  As  we  watched  that 
swaying  bridge  of  boats,  as  the  heavy  wagons  or  guns  came  jolt- 
ing down  the  banks  upon  the  narrow  causeway,  we  could  not  but 
think  that,  had  it  been  possible  for  Cortez  to  cross  over  on  a  pon- 
toon bridge,  there  had  been  no  need  of  his  burning  it  to  develop 
the  staying  qualities  of  his  men.  Perhaps  Gen.  Rosecrans  knew 
what  he  was  about  in  taking  us  over  into  the  enemy's  country 
with  such  limited  means  of  retreat. 

By  the  6th  of  September  the  troops  had  all  crossed  the  first 
range  of  mountains  south  of  the  Tennessee,  and  were  in  Look- 
out Valley  facing  Lookout  Mountain.  This  is  a  most  formid- 
able barrier  running  from  the  Tennessee  River  near  Chattanooga, 
south-west  into  Alabama,  a  distance  of  perhaps  sixty  miles.  The 
height  is  said  to  be  about  two  thousand  feet,  with  steep,  rocky 
and  even  precipitous  sides.  Crittenden's  Corps  was  at  Wau- 
hatchie,  about  six  miles  from  Chattanooga.  Thomas,  with  the 
14th  Corps,  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Trenton,  twenty-five  miles 
distant,  while  we,  of  McCook's  Corps,  were  at  Valley  Head  forty- 
two  miles  from  Chattanooga.  This  was  the  situation  on  the  eve- 
ning of  September  Cth.  Could  Gen.  Rosecrans  get  the  two  corps 
on  the  right,  McCook  and  Thomas,  over  this  great  mountain 


96  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

quick  enough,  he  could  undoubtedly  have  shut  Bragg  and  his 
army  up  in  Chattanooga,  as  Pemberton  had  been  locked  in 
Vicksburg  by  Gen.  Grant.  Failing  in  this,  however,  he  would, 
by  crossing  Lookout  get  into  his  rear,  threaten  or  perhaps  cut 
his  line  of  communications,  thus  preventing  the  arrival  of  sup- 
plies and  re-enforcements.  It  seems  that  Gen.  Rosecrans  had 
by  this  time  received  positive  information  of  expected  re-enforce- 
ments from  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  so  that  whatever  was 
attempted  must  be  done  at  once.  Added  to  those  reasons,  it  is 
now  stated  authoritatively  that  Rosecrans  had  peremptory  orders 
from  the  War  Department  to  move  and  to  keep  moving,  also  to 
report  his  progress  and  the  situation  of  his  army  daily.  Know- 
ing the  natural  obstacles  that  were  to  be  overcome,  it  seems  now 
that  such  orders  were  senseless  and  uujust  to  the  army,  as  well 
as  to  its  commander.  However,  on  the  8th  the  movement  over 
Lookout  Mountain  commenced  by  the  cavalry,  by  McCook's 
corps  at  Winston's  Gap;  and  by  Thomas  at  Prick's,  Cooper's 
and  Stevens'  Gaps.  The  brigade  of  Gen.  Post  was  left  at  Valley 
Head  in  charge  of  supply  trains,  and  also  as  a  protection  to  the 
right  and  rear.  All  day  and  night  of  the  8th  the  seemingly  in- 
terminabletrains  and  artillery  of  McCook's  corpsrolled  on  through 
our  camp  and  up  the  mountain.  As  was  afterward  learned,  they 
went  over  into  Broom  Town  Valley,  one  division  going  as  far 
south  as  Alpine,  while  the  cavalry  which  accompanied  them  went 
further,  one  division  going  within  a  few  miles  of  Rome,  Ga. 
Gen.  Thomas  had  made  a  successful  crossing  by  the  9th,  and  a 
reconnoisance  around  the  north  end  of  Lookout,  on  same  date, 
by  Gen.  Crittenden,  developed  the  fact  that  Bragg  had  evacu- 
ated Chattanooga  on  the  day  and  night  previous.  On  the  10th, 
Gen.  Crittenden,  with  all  his  trains,  had  passed  around  the  north 
end  of  the  mountain  and  camped  that  night  at  Rossville,  five 
miles  south  of  Chattanooga.  This,  then,  was  the  situation  on 
that  date. 

The  forces  were  all  on  the  east  side  of  Lookout  Mountain; 
Crittenden  at  Rossville,  Thomas  at  McLemore's  Cove,  fifteen 
miles  south,  and  McCook  at  Broom  Town  and  Alpine,  thirty- 
five  miles  south  of  Chattanooga,  while  Bragg  was  confronting 
them  near  Lafayette  and  Ringgold,  about  twenty  and  twenty-five 
miles  east-of-south  from  Chattanooga.  What  was  then  known 
to  Gen.  Rosecrans,  but  now  to  all,  as  it  has  since  become  a 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  9*7 

matter  of  history,  was  the  fact  that  Bragg  was  receiving  large 
re-enforcements.  Brigades  from  Mobile  and  Charleston  ;  a 
force  of  10,000  under  Buckner,  from  East  Tennessee;  and  Long- 
street's  command  from  Lee's  army  had  arrived,  or  were  arriving 
daily.  Under  these  circumstances  it  was  necessary  that  Rose- 
crans  should  concentrate  his  forces  at  once,  as  there  was  a  cer- 
tainty of  being  attacked  by  vastly  superior  numbers.  McCook 
was  directed  to  join  Thomas  with  all  possible  speed,  while 
Thomas  and  Crittenden  were  ordered  to  move  slightly  to  the 
left  and  right,  so  as  to  unite  their  corps.  It  is  seen  by  the  situ- 
ation that  Bragg  was  practically  between  McCook  and  Thomas. 
Consequently  McCook  dared  not  attempt  to  reach  Thomas  by 
moving  up  on  the  east  side  of  Lookout,  fearing  Bragg  might 
turn  upon  and  crush  him.  Therefore  he  was  compelled  to  move 
up  the  mountain;  but  getting  no  satisfactory  information  in  re- 
gard to  the  mountain  road,  he  marched  his  men  back  to  Valley 
Head,  and  from  there  moved  back  up  the  mountain,  again  cross- 
ing at  Stevens'  Gap,  thus  joining  Thomas  near  Crawfish  Springs 
on  the  17th.  This  delay  came  very  near  being  fatal,  as,  had 
Bragg  attacked  before  the  arrival  of  McCook,  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  all  would  have  been  lost.  However,  the  attack 
was  not  made  until  the  19th,  and  the  only  result  of  this  delay 
was  that  it  prevented  the  Union  commander  from  choosing  the 
battle  ground.  On  the  18th,  all  having  preceded  us,  our  brigade, 
which  was  still  at  Valley  Head,  was  ordered  to  join  the  division. 
We  at  once  started,  and  that  night  camped  on  the  mountain, 
which  we  found  to  be  quite  level  on  top,  and  about  fifteen  miles 
broad.  The  land  was  reasonably  good,  and  covered  with  a  fair 
growth  of  timber.  Here  and  there  a  squatter  had  a  cabin  and 
small  clearing,  but  on  the  whole  the  region  was  very  sparsely 
settled,  and  poorly  watered. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  we  moved  on,  and  about 
half-past  ten  reached  the  eastern  brow  of  the  mountain.  The 
command  "file  left"  was  given,  and  then  came  "halt!  stack 
arms."  Just  at  that  moment  I  looked  out  in  front  of  the  line, 
and  the  view  there  presented  was  the  grandest  sight  of  my  life. 
We  were  within  a  few  feet  of  the  edge  of  the  mountain,  which 
here  fell  away  perpendicularly  perhaps  300  or  400  feet,  thus  leav- 
ing an  unobstructed  view  across  the  entire  state  of  Georgia,  with 
its  verdant  hills  and  valleys  seeming  to  roll  as  the  billows  of  the 


98  THIRD    REUNION    OF   THE 

sea.  In  the  distance  lay  what  at  first  appeared  to  be  a  hazy 
cloud,  but  with  a  little  attention  it  was  discerned  to  be  a  range 
of  mountains  which  are  the  dividing  line  between  Georgia  and 
South  Carolina.  A  trifle  to  the  left  a  small  fleecy  cloud  was 
seen,  which  we  were  told  was  Mount  Mitchell,  the  highest  of 
the  Alleghanies;  and  distant  160  miles,  upon  a  higher  part  of  the 
mountain  just  to  our  left  was  a  signal  station,  and  from  this 
point  the  mountains  along  the  valley  of  the  Tennessee  could  be 
followed  with  the  naked  eye  for  over  1.00  miles.  Surely  no  one 
who  was  present  will  forget  the  magnificent  view.  To  our  left, 
looking  down  into  the  valley  2,000  feet  below  us,  and  apparent- 
ly at  our  feet,  though  distant  say  fifteen  miles  by  air  line,  were 
plainly  seen  the  puffs  of  white  smoke  from  the  cannons  of  the 
contending  armies,  upon  the  banks  of  what  proved  to  be  a  verita- 
ble river  of  blood.* 

All  day  of  the  19th,  we  remained  on  the  crest  of  the  mount- 
ain, from  which  the  movements  of  both  armies  were  to  be  seen, 
though  somewhat  indistinctly,  as  clouds  of  dust  obscured  the 
vision  in  those  narrow  valleys.  Gen.  Post  tells  us  that  the  or- 
der to  move  came  at  4:00  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of 
September.  It  came  from  Gen.  Garfield,  who  was  then  Rose- 
crans'  chief  of  staff,  and  read,  "We  are  holding  our  ground — 
move  forward  to  the  battlefield  at  once."  Down  into  the  valley 
we  descended  and  commenced  our  march,  almost  race,  for  Craw- 
fish Springs,  about  twenty  miles  distant,  which  we  reached  short- 
ly after  noon.  The  day  being  very  warm,  many  unable  to  keep 
up  fell  out  by  the  wayside,  and  were  made  prisoners  by  a  force 
of  the  enemy,  which  hung  upon  our  flank  and  rear.  Perhaps 
some  will  recollect  of  our  meeting  three  suspicious  looking  men 
upon  the  road,  some  distance  south  of  Crawfish.  They  claimed 
to  be  citizens,  and  were  allowed  to  pass  on.  One  of  those  men 
I  met  a  short  time  ago  at  Robinson,  Kansas,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. 

In  conversation  with  him  in  regard  to  our  perilous  position, 
he  asserted  that  a  division  of  rebel  infantry,  with  two  brigades 
of  cavalry,  were  in  ambush  near  the  road,  expecting  to  capture 
the  entire  brigade,  but,  seeing  by  the  dust  which  extended  a  long 
distance  what  they  supposed  to  be  a  larger  force  than  they  ex- 
pected, dare  not  attack,  and  we  were  allowed  to  pass  in  peace. 

*It  is  said  that  the  Indian  word  "Chickamauga"  signifies  river  of  blood. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  99 

Near  Crawfish,  we  met  Gen.  Mitchell  with  a  force  of  cavalry, 
and  there  learned  that  our  forces  had  changed  position,  so  that 
we  were  then  directly  in  rear  of  the  rebel  army,  only  four  miles 
distant.  Fortunately  the  supply  trains,  which  had  been  left  in 
our  charge  at  Valley  Head,  had  been  sent  by  the  mountain  road 
from  Stevens  Gap  towards  Chattanooga,  so  that  we  were  not 
impeded  by  them.  By  rapid  marching  during  the  afternoon 
and,  night,  now  moving  close  up  to  the  side  of  Lookout  Mountain, 
and  again  carefully  feeling  our  way  through  narrow  valleys,  we 
managed  to  pass  the  left  flank  of  Bragg's  army  by  daylight  of  the 
morning  of  the  21st.  However,  the  battle  of  the  Chickamaugahad 
been  fought,  and  the  troops  under  Gen.  Thomas  had  fallen  back 
to  Rossville,  followed  by  the  rebel  forces  during  the  night,  so 
that  we  were  still  practically  behind  the  Confederates.  Our 
movements  of  the  day  previous  were  repeated,  and  by  9:00 
o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd,  we  were  in  sight  of  Chatta- 
nooga. Hemmed  in  and  driven  upon  the  side  of  the  mountain, 
with  a  corps  of  the  Confederate  army  in  position  to  dispute  our 
way  into  Chattanooga,  whither  our  army  had  retired  the  day  and 
night  previous,  it  still  looked  as  if  we  could  not  escape  capture. 
However,  a  determined  effort  was  made,  the  Seventy-fourth  be- 
ing thrown  across  the  road  as  skirmishers.  The  very  audacity 
of  this  move  probably  saved  us.  While  the  Confederates  paus- 
ed as  if  awaiting  an  attack,  the  remainder  of  our  little  force,  in- 
cluding Mitchell's  cavalry,  double-quicked  by  our  rear,  and  when 
they  safely  passed  the  Seventy-fourth  turned  back  into  the  road 
and  ran  for  it,  reaching  the  bridge  across  Pea  Vine  Creek  near 
where  it  enters  the  Tennessee  at  the  foot  of  Lookout,  just  in  the 
nick  of  time  and  under  cover  of  the  artillery,  which  had  been 
placed  to  cover  our  movement.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were  able 
to  join  the  other  brigades  of  our  division  which  were  a  short  dis- 
tance up  the  creek,  and  at  once  fell  into  line  and  seized  our  shov- 
els to  throw  up  protecting  earthworks.  Thus  ended  the  Chick- 
amauga  campaign,  a  campaign  that  has  brought  out  a  great  deal 
of  adverse  criticism.  To  those  of  us  who  were  there  and  know 
the  difficult  character  of  the  country  traversed,  and  the  great  odds 
against  us,  it  is  a  wonder  that  so  much  was  accomplished. 
When  we  call  to  mind  the  rugged  mountains  and  great  river 
over  which  we  passed,  and  toiled,  marched  and  fought  for  a  dis- 
tance of  hundreds  of  miles,  we  cannot  think  that  America  has 


100  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

cause  to  blush  at  the  conduct  of  the  gallant  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland, or  of  the  energetic,  persevering,  indomitable  officers 
who  led  its  veterans. 

Capt.  H.  V.  Freeman,  in  answer  to  a  call,  responded  as 
follows: 

Comrades:  You  and  I  are  both,  I  fear,  the  victims  of  mis- 
placed confidence.  When  my  friend  Capt.  Sherratt  told  me  I 
was  to  be  called  on  to-day,  he  gave  me  to  understand  that  it  was 
to  be  a  sort  of  experience  meeting,  and  that  I  was  only  one  of  a 
good  many  who  were  simply  to  "heave  in  a  few  remarks."  In- 
stead of  that  I  found  myself  announced  for  a  formal,  serious 
speech,  which  I  am  not  prepared  to  make  at  all.  But  I  am  al- 
ways glad  to  be  present  at  these  reunions.  I  find  my  interest  in  old 
army  matters  increasing  as  years  go  on.  There  was  a  time  just 
after  the  war  ended,  when  I  felt  so  glad  that  it  was  all  happily  over, 
so  grateful  that  I  had  come  out  of  it  retaining  the  possession  and 
use  all  my  limbs  and  faculties,  that  I  did  not  care  to  hear  or  talk 
about  the  war.  It  was  all  too  new  in  memory.  I  knew  all 
about  what  it  was,  and  did  not  care  to  refresh  my  recollection. 
This  I  suppose  was  an  experience  common  to  most  of  us.  We 
found  ourselves  then  with  new  battles  to  fight.  We  had  to  en- 
gage in  the  struggle  for  existence,  to  make  our  way  in  the  world, 
to  win  the  victories  of  peace. 

But  now  few  things  interest  us  more  than  recollections  of 
the  old  campaigns  and  battles.  If  there  is  one  period  of  my  life 
of  which  I  am  proud  it  is  my  three  years  of  army  life.  Many 
soldiers  look  back,  no  matter  what  their  subsequent  success, 
with  more  of  satisfaction  to  that  period  of  their  lives  than  any  other. 

It  was  the  time  when  of  all  others,  no  matter  how  insignificant 
our  own  personal  part  in  it  was,  we  felt  that  we  were  living  manly 
lives,  subjected  to  some  of  the  severest  tests  of  manhood. 

I  want  to  tell  you  about  one  member  of  the  regiment  whom 
you  will  be  glad  to  hear  from.  A  few  weeks  ago,  going  up  to  the 
United  States  Court  Rooms  in  the  Custom  House  building  at 
Chicago,  I  chanced  to  take  a  different  elevator  from  the  one  I 
have  usually  taken.  I  did  not  notice  the  man  in  charge  until  a 
quiet  voice  said  to  me,  "How  do  you  do?"  and  I  saw  that 
the  speaker  was  Adjutant  Nieman.  I  was  very  glad  to  see  him 
again,  and  regret  that  he  could  not  be  with  us  to-day.  I  know 
you  will  agree  with  me  that  he  ought  to  have  a  better  position. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  101 

I  hope  that  some  of  those  here  will  be  able  to  exert  influence 
enough  to  get  him  some  more  lucrative  place.  Ill  health  had 
thrown  him  out  of  his  occupation,  and  he  has  taken  what  he 
could  to  do,  like  a  good  soldier. 

I  never  think  of  Nieman  that  I  do  not  call  to  mind  an  inci- 
dent which  happened  when  we  were  in  camp  at  Edgefield,  just 
across  the  river  from  Nashville.  It  was  before  our  colonel  had 
become  familiar  enough  with  tactics  to  be  able  to  drill  the  regi- 
ment without  the  adjutant's  aid.  One  day  when  we  were  out 
on  drill,  the  colonel  undertook  to  conduct  the  exercises  himself. 
He  probably  felt  some  distrust  of  his  own  knowledge  just  then, 
for  he  spent  considerable  time,  I  recollect,  in  dressing  and  re- 
dressing the  ranks,  and  getting  the  file  closers  in  exact  alignment, 
which  of  course  he  could  do  pretty  well.  Then  he  gave  the  or- 
der, "By  the  right  of  companies  to  the  rear  into  column,"  and 
stopped.  "Say  'right  face,'  Colonel;  say  Bright  face!'  Battalion 
right  face,'  "  whispered  the  adjutant  loud  enough  for  the  whole 
line  to  hear.  So  the  colonel  said  "right  face,"  and  stopped 
again.  The  company  officers  broke  files  to  the  rear  and  waited 
for  the  rest  of  the  order  which  somehow  did  not  come.  Mean- 
while the  adjutant  saw  that  something  was  the  matter  with  Co. 
G — they  were  right  next  to  Co.  K,  but  they  never  would  do  as 
we  did,  and  we  could  not  teach  them  anything.  So  away  he 
went  on  that  little  black  horse  of  his  to  straighten  out  Co.  G — 
Meanwhile  the  colonel  sat  on  his  horse  looking  blankly  at  the 
regiment,  wondering  why  it  didn't  move  off,  and  the  men  were 
wondering  why  he  didn't  give  the  final  part  of  the  order  to  move. 
When  the  adjutant  got  the  left  of  the  line  fixed  to  suit  him,  he 
saw  what  the  matter  was  and  started  back  toward  the  colonel  at 
full  gallop,  but  before  he  could  get  there  his  impatience  got  the 
better  of  him,  and  he  called  out  eagerly,  "Say  '•March!' colonel; 
say  'March?'  "  and  as  the  colonel  didn't  respond,  he  waved  his 
sword  in  the  air  furiously  and  shouted  out  "Mar-r-rchf" 

My  recollection  is  that  the  colonel  didn't  drill  the  regiment 
any  more  that  day.  But  if  he  was  at  first  a  little  slow  in  learn- 
ing how  to  act  as  drill  master,  one  thing  every  man  of  us  knows, 
a  braver  soldier  never  lived  than  Col.  Jason  Marsh.  The  regi- 
ment owes  more  to  its  brave  old  colonel  in  that  respect  than  per- 
haps we  have  ever  realized.  In  the  time  when  shot  and  shell 
are  flying  about  the  example  of  a  fearless  man  who  appears  in- 


102  THIRD    REUNION    OF   THE 

sensible  to  danger  is  of  inestimable  value,  and  that  example  the 
Seventy-fourth  always  had  from  its  colonel.  He  was  a  kindly 
man,  too.  I  well  remember  one  occasion  when  the  pair  of  new 
boots  I  had  taken  from  home,  thinking  in  my  freshness  that  they 
would  be  so  much  better  than  the  army  shoe  to  march  in,  when 
those  miserable  boots  had  blistered  my  feet  so  that  every  step 
was  torture,  and  I  had  to  discard  them,  the  colonel,  seeing  my 
predicament  one  day  on  the  march,  got  off  his  horse  and  com- 
pelled me,  against  my  will,  to  ride.  That  showed  genuine  kind- 
ness of  a  sort  one  did  not  always  meet  from  superior  officers. 
He  has  fought  his  last  battle.  He  sleeps  "the  sleep  that  knows 
no  waking."  Peace  to  his  ashes.  His  memory  is  and  ever  will 
be  green,  while  we  live,  in  the  hearts  of  his  old  regiment. 

I  remember  an  incident  of  another  sort  in  connection  with 
the  adjutant.  I  saw  him  and  brave  old  Captain  Bacon  of  Co.  G 
in  the  hospital,  both  wounded,  after  Kenesaw  Mountain.  The 
captain  had  lost  both  arms  near  theshoulders,  but  with  undaunt- 
ed courage  was  still  bravely  fighting  for  life,  though,  as  the  se- 
quel showed,  in  vain.  He  died  soon  after  from  his  wounds.  I 
was  impressed  at  the  time  with  the  kind  attentions  the  adjutant, 
himself  wounded,  was  trying  to  give  the  captain,  as  they  lay 
upon  cots  side  by  side  in  the  hospital. 

The  campaign,  the  story  of  which  we  have  just  listened  to, 
was  the  last  one  in  which  I  took  part  with  the  Seventy-fourth. 
We  did  not  come  in  immediate  contact  again  until  at  the  battle 
of  Nashville.  There  it  was  my  fortune  to  take  part  in  that 
charge  on  Overton's  Hill,  where  Gen.  Post,  our  old  brigade  com- 
mander, was  so  severely,  though  happily  not  fatally,  wounded. 
You  saw  that  charge  yourselves,  and  know  whether  we  did  our 
work  well.  One  hundred  and  twenty-one  of  the  officers  and 
men  of  my  regiment,  if  I  recollect  correctly,  were  there  killed 
and  wounded  almost  in  less  time  than  I  have  taken  to  tell  the 
story. 

That  charge  suggests  to  me  another  thought.  I  have  taken 
occasion  of  late  years  to  examine  some  of  the  improvements 
which  have  been  made  in  artillery  and  small  arms,  and  as  a  re- 
sult I  am  profoundly  grateful  to-day  that  my  military  career  end- 
ed before  these  new  inventions  came  into  use.  Our  war  stimu- 
lated invention  in  this  direction  most  wonderfully,  and  I  believe 
that  the  .survivors  of  our  armies  are  the  last  men  who  will  ever 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  103 

live  to  tell  the  story  of  a  direct  charge  upon  a  well  manned  bat- 
tery. I  don't  believe  that  a  battery  of  Gatling  guns,  for  instance, 
supported  by  men  armed  with  a  weapon  like  the  new  breach- 
loading  Springfield  rifle,  can  ever  be  taken  by  a  direct  charge. 
And  out  of  the  fullness  of  your  experience  at  such  places  as  Ken- 
esaw  Mountain  and  Nashville,  I  am  quite  sure  none  of  us  ever 
want  to  try  it  again. 

Seldom,  comrades,  have  any  soldiers  had  such  reason  for 
congratulation  as  the  survivors  of  the  Union  army.  We  are  for- 
tunate not  only  in  belonging  to  the  triumphant  side  in  the  great 
conflict,  fortunate  not  only  in  having  escaped  that  ultimate  sac- 
rifice which  so  many  of  our  comrades  bravely  yielded,  but  trebly 
fortunate  in  living  to  w  itness  the  great  moral  triumph  of  our 
cause.  Few  of  us  believed  twenty-three  years  ago  that  we  should 
ever  live,  no  matter  what  might  be  the  result  of  the  conflict,  to 
see  the  Union  again  completely  restored,  as  we  see  it  to-day,  a 
Union  of  hearts,  as  well  as  a  Union  of  states.  But  we  have 
lived  to  see  the  men  whom  we  fought  confessing  that  our  cause 
was  just.  Men  of  the  south  to-day  rejoice,  as  we  do,  in  our  tri- 
umph, in  a  Union  restored,  in  slavery  abolished;  and  we  have 
the  proud  satisfaction  that  because  of  the  struggle  of  which  we 
were  a  part,  our  free  institutions  will  be  handed  down,  not  only 
unimpaired,  but  strengthened  and  invigorated,  let  us  hope,  be- 
yond our  children's  children. 

Our  historian  to-day,  Sergeant  Black,  has  referred  to  an  in- 
cident in  connection  with  the  sutler.  I  remember  another  inci- 
dent which  gave  another  regimental  sutler  occasion  to  remember, 
not  altogether  gratefully,  some  men  of  the  Seventy-fourth.  It 
was,  I  think,  on  the  march  from  Winchester  to  Stevenson,  over 
the  Cumberland  range  of  mountains,  a  march  of  which  our  his- 
torian has  been  telling.  It  properly  comes  in,  therefore,  in  con- 
nection with  that  part  of  our  regimental  history,  though  perhaps 
hardly  worthy  of  serious  record.  It  was  when  we  were  going  up 
the  mountains  that  hot  afternoon.  You  will  remember  that  it 
was  a  pretty  steep  climb.  The  brigade  battery  had  to  be  help- 
ed up  by  hand,  and  it  was  rather  tough  lifting  too.  Of  course 
the  sutler's  wagons  had  to  be  helped  also,  and  most  of  them  had 
been  wise  enough  to  let  their  stores  go  around  by  rail,  going 
themselves  with  the  command  with  nearly  empty  wagons.  But 
one  German  sutler,  belonging  to  some  regiment  the  number  of 


104  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

which  I  have  forgotten,  had  quite  a  stock  of  good  things  on 
board;  of  course  he  needed  help,  and  I  noticed  that  for  some 
reason  the  Seventy-fourth  seemed  really  a  good  deal  more  will- 
ing to  help  //////  along  than  they  had  been  to  help  the  battery; 
and  while  I  was  revolving  this  singular  fact  in  my  mind,  I  no- 
ticed that  they  were  keeping  the  sutler  busily  employed  at  the 
head  of  the  struggling  team,  and  that  notwithstanding  there  were 
about  a  dozen  men  at  each  mule  and  each  wheel,  they  seemed 
to  think  it  necessary  to  lighten  the  load.  To  do  so,  doubtless, 
they  were  rolling  out  of  the  hind  end  of  the  wagon  a  couple  of 
kegs  of  beer,  a  barrel  of  ginger  snaps,  and  some  other  similar 
luxuries,  which  were  immediately  concealed  in  the  bushes,  pre- 
sumably for  safe  keeping,  until  the  sutler  should  return  for  them. 
I  noticed,  too,  that  you  were  so  solicitous  about  them  that  every 
man  seemed  to  think  it  necessary  to  go  there  personally,  in  his 
turn,  to  see  that  the  things  were  safe.  Let  us  hope  the  record- 
ing angel  dropped  a  few  tears  over  the  language,  forcible  if  not 
polite,  which  that  sutler  thought  necessary  to  do  justice  to  the 
occasion,  when  he  discovered  how  his  wagon  had  been  lightened. 
I  trust  the  taste  of  that  beer  is  not  bitter  in  your  mouths  to-day. 
We  are  getting  old.  Soon  but  few  of  us  will  answer  to  the 
muster-roll  at  these  annual  reunions.  It  will  not  be  long  before 
the  last  one  is  gone.  But  while  we  live  we  can  never  forget  the 
years  when  we  marched  and  fought  together  for  our  flag  and  our 
country. 

Maj.  T.  J.  L.  Remington  was  then  introduced,  and  began 
by  stating  that  Sergeant  Black  had  told  the  full  story  of  the  Tul- 
lahoma  campaign,  thus  making  his  not  worth  the  telling.  He 
was  about  to  retire  when  the  vociferous  cries  of  his  auditors  and 
old  comrades  forced  him  to  continue.  Contenting  himself  with 
recollections  solely,  the  Major  told  of  how  Quartermaster  Mor- 
rill,  rigged  up  without  regard  to  cost  in  a  brand  new  uniform, 
was  frightened  by  the  Twenty-second  Indiana  firing  off  their 
guns  in  order  to  clean  them,  and  the  persistent  determination  of 
the  aroused  officer  to  shoot  a  darky  galloping  across  the  field 
whom  he  took  for  rebel  cavalry.  The  Major  was  stationed  in 
the  gap  of  Cumberland  Mountains  previous  to  and  during  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga.  The  elevated  position  of  their  command 
gave  them  a  view  of  the  battle  which  lay  stretched  out  at  their 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  105 

feet.  The  retreat  after  the  battle  of  Chattanooga  was  narrated, 
and  many  amusing  incidents  of  Col.  Marsh's  ability  to  blunder 
in  making  military  evolutions  cropped  out  in  the  narration. 

President  Holland  at  this  juncture  received  and  read  the  fol- 
lowing telegram: 

OREGON,  Sept.  4. 

President  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  Reunion  Assoeiation: 
The  Ninety-second  Illinois  Infantry,  now  in  reunion  at  Oregon, 
send  hearty  greeting  to  their  late  comrades  in  arms,  the  Seventy- 
fourth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  hope  the  pleasant  associations  en- 
gendered twenty-three  years  ago  at  Camp  Fuller  may  continue 
until  the  last  veteran  shall  have  answered  to  the  final  roll  call. 

CAPT.  E.  T.  E.  BECKER. 

Mr.  Holland  then  read  the  response  he  had  written  in  reply, 

which  was  a  follows: 

ROCKFORD,  Sept.  4. 

CAPT.  E.  T.  E.  BECKER:  The  Seventy-fourth  acknowledges 
the  fraternal  greeting  of  its  old  comrades  of  the  Ninety-second, 
and  assures  them  that  the  memories  of  twenty-three  years  ago 
are  recalled  with  great  pleasure.  H.  P.  HOLLAND. 

Col.  Brazee  was  then  called  for,  and  spoke  of  the  enjoyment 
old  soldiers  have  in  these  reunions;  how  rank  had  been  forgot- 
ten, and  the  old  soldiers  were  an  enduring  brotherhood. 

Capt.  T.  G.  Lawler,  of  the  Nineteenth  Illinois,  the  popular 
commander  of  Nevius  Post  No.  1,  G.  A.  R.,  was  called  for,  and 
said: 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Comrades:  I  am  always  reminded 
of  a  story  whenever  I  attend  a  reunion  of  old  soldiers.  A  parrot 
was  out  on  the  sidewalk  one  day,  and  seeing  a  dog  running 
along,  called  out,  "sick  'em;  sick  'em,"  and  the  dog  made  for 
the  parrot.  After  a  lively  tussle  the  parrot  got  loose,  flew  up  on 
the  porch  of  the  house,  took  an  inventory,  and  found  she  had 
lost  all  her  feathers,  and  was  used  up  generally.  After  looking 
herself  all  over  she  said,  "Polly  talks  too  damn  much."  So  I 
think  in  regard  to  these  gatherings,  we  "talk  too  d — n  much." 

But,  comrades  of  the  gallant  old  Seventy-fourth  Illinois,  I 
congratulate  you  on  the  success  of  this  your  third  annual  reunion 
— and  as  a  member  of  the  grand  old  army  of  the  Cumberland, 
and  as  a  citizen  of  Winnebago  county,  I  extend  to  you  greetings 
and  a  hearty  welcome  to  the  place,  where,  twenty-three  years  ago, 
you  formed  yourselves  into  a  regiment  and  started  to  the  front. 
These  reunions  are  pleasant  to  comrades.  What  a  thrill  of  pleas- 


106  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

ure  goes  through  our  veins  as  we  grasp  each  other  by  the  hand. 
It  is  good  for  us  to  come  together  once  each  year,  and  touch 
elbows  with  those  who  have  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  us 
in  many  a  fierce  battle.  It  is  true  that  regiments  (like  individ- 
uals) in  great  armies  lose  their  individuality;  yet,  comrades,  you 
have  the  consciousness  of  knowing  that  your  gallant  regiment 
did  its  full  share  of  duty  and  trials  in  one  of  the  grandest  armies 
of  the  late  war — the  old  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  I  would  not 
take  one  leaf  from  the  laurel  of  fame  won  by  other  armies,  yet  I 
am  free  to  say  that  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  had  more  to 
contend  with  than  any  other  army  in  the  field,  for  this  reason: 
we  operated  at  a  greater  distance  from  our  base  of  supplies;  we 
had  no  gunboats  to  keep  open  our  line  of  cummunications  and 
supplies,  but  had  to  depend  on  a  single  track  of  a  "wheezy"  old 
road  from  Louisville  down  into  the  very  heart  of  the  Confeder- 
acy. Now  we  all  know  that  an  army  will  fight  at  any  time,  but 
you  must  supply  rations  and  ammunition.  As  our  gallant  com- 
mander, Gen.  Rosecrans,  said,  "A  good  soldier  eats  well,  sleeps 
well,  and  fights  well;" — and,  one  of  the  boys  added,  "and  drinks 
well." 

The  Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  first  formed  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  in  September,  1861,  to  protect  Louisville,  Cincinnati,  and 
other  northern  cities  from  the  rebel  army  under  Buckner.  See 
the  list  of  its  gallant  commanders:  first,  Gen.  Robert  Anderson, 
the  hero  of  Fort  Sumpter;  then  the  greatest  executive  officer  and 
the  second  greatest  commander  of  any  armies,  William  Tecum- 
seh  Sherman;  then  that  superb  soldier,  Don  Carlos  Buell;  then 
that  brave,  gallant  soldier,  one  who  was  idolized  by  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland  for  his  kindness  to  his  men,  who  always  won, 
W.  S.  Rosecrans;  and  then  by  that  grand  old  soldier,  the  noblest 
Roman  of  them  all,  the  rock  of  Chickamauga,  George  H.  Thomas. 
See  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  sweep  from  Louisville  to  Perry  - 
ville,  where  the  gallant  old  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  received  its 
first  baptism  of  fire;  then  Stone  River;  then  that  bloodless  cam- 
paign of  Tullahoma — bloodless,  yet  effective  in  gaining  our  ob- 
jective point,  and  hurling  Bragg  back  to  the  Cumberland  Mount- 
ains; then  over  the  mountains,  in  the  thicket  of  Chickamauga, 
where  the  hardest  fought  battle  of  the  war  took  place.  It  was  a 
fearful  hand-to-hand  encounter  against  the  combined  forces  of 
Bragg,  Longstreet  and  Pemberton  for  the  possession  of  Chatta- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  107 

nooga.  We  won  at  a  loss  of  over  10,000  killed,  wounded  and 
prisoners.  The  rebel  loss  was  over  20,000;  they  had  over  68,000 
men  to  our  58,000.  Then  followed  the  storming  of  Lookout 
Mountain  and  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  under  that  peerless 
soldier  whose  loss  the  world  mourns  to-day — U.  S.  Grant;  then 
how  part  of  the  army,  the  Seventy-fourth  included,  started 
hungry  and  barefooted  to  the  relief  of  Burnsideat  Knoxville;  then 
came  Buzzard  Roost,  Dalton  and  Resaca,  Calhoun  and  Adairs- 
ville,  Kingston,  Dallas,  Altoona  and  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach 
Tree  Creek  and  Atlanta,  Lovejoy's  Station  and  Jonesboro,  Frank- 
lin and  Nashville;  and  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
swept  through  with  Sherman  from  "Atlanta  to  the  sea,"  up 
through  the  Carolinas  to  that  grand  review  at  Washington.  Such, 
comrades,  was  your  history,  and  is  it  a  wonder  that  we  feel  proud 
on  such  an  occasion  as  this? 

Comrades,  I  hope  you  will  continue  to  hold  these  reunions 
until  the  last  long  roll  is  sounded,  and  I  shall  always  be  pleased  to 
attend  them  with  you  either  in  Oregon  or  any  other  place.  I 
thank  you  Mr.  Chairman  and  comrades  and  hope  we  may  all 
live  to  meet  one  year  from  this  time  in  Ogle  county. 

The  bravery  of  Col.  Marsh  and  his  good-hearted  treatment 
of  his  men  was  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Holland,  Capt.  Freeman,  and 
several  members  of  the  regiment. 

Lieut.  McKeig  closed  the  formal  exercises  of  the  day  by  pay- 
ing a  tribute  to  the  ladies  of  Rockford  who  fed  the  boys  so  well 
twenty  years  ago,  and  so  well  again  to-day. 

The  regiment  then  formed  and  marched  to  the  G.  A.  R. 
Hall. 

THE  EVENING  SESSION. 

In  the  evening  at  8:00  o'clock  President  Holland  called  the 
members  of  the  association  to  order  in  Grand  Army  Hall.  There 
were  a  large  number  of  visitors  present  including  ladies.  Mr. 
Holland  made  a  few  remarks,  and  Dr.  McAffee  favored  the  audi- 
ence with  an  army  song.  He  was  heartily  applauded  and  re- 
sponded to  the  encore  with  another  selection.  Lieut.  McKeig 
of  Lincoln,  Neb.,  followed  with  remarks.  He  gave  an  interesting 
sketch  of  the  Seventy-fourth,  and  spoke  of  their  fighting  qual- 
ities. 

Robert  Simpson,  having  given  the  subject  of  who  brought 
up  the  rear  from  Spring  Hill  to  Franklin  considerable  study, 


108  THIRD    REUNION    OF    THE 

was  called  for,  and  gave  his  reminiscences.  He  related  the  story, 
of  the  retreat,  and  how,  when  the  news  came  that  the  boys  in  the 
hospital  would  be  given  an  election  furlough,  what  a  scramble 
there  was  to  be  under  the  surgeon's  care.  What  a  pleasant 
thing  it  was  to  get  a  furlough  and  free  transportation.  Robert 
had  visited  the  old  fighting  ground  on  three  occasions  since 
the  war,  but  now  everything  was  changed,  and  the  comrades 
would  not  recognize  the  locality  where,  over  twenty  years  ago, 
they  shed  their  blood  in  the  defence  of  the  flag  and  Union. 

Dr.  McAffee  gave  "Old  Shady." 

Comrade  Fuller  was  asked  to  relate  his  experience  in  Ander- 
sonville,  but  excused  himself  on  the  ground  that  he  was  there 
only  a  few  days. 

James  Regan  gave  the  old  veterans  one  of  the  best  speeches 
of  the  evening,  relating  his  experiences  at  Stone  River,  and  con- 
cluded by  relating  the  story  of  the  disappearance  of  the  pies, 
some  300  in  number.  He  said  Co.  G  had  more  pie  the  night  the 
food  was  stolen  than  ever  before  or  since.  His  remarks  were 
quite  witty,  and  received  considerable  applause. 

Regan  having  created  a  laugh  at  the  expense  of  Co.  G,  it 
was  necessary  to  retaliate.  Joseph  Hawthorne  was  called  on  to 
say  something  in  reply  for  Co.  G.  He  remembered  when  his 
company  first  came  to  Camp  Fuller  in  this  city,  it  was  called 
"Dutcher's  Roughs."  They  were  next  to  another  company 
known  as  the  "Christian  Company."  He  related  one  or  two  in- 
cidents to  show  the  thieving  propensities  of  Regan's  associates. 

Dr.  McAffee  recited  "Barbara  Fritchie,"  the  German  ver- 
sion, and  convulsed  the  audience  with  laughter. 

Capt.  Freeman  and  Lieut.  McKeig  both  spoke  very  eulo- 
gistically  of  Col.  Kerr,  and  hoped  at  the  next  meeting  some  ac- 
tion on  his  death  would  be  taken.  On  motion  it  was  voted  that 
Capt.  Freeman  and  A.  J.  Guilford  be  a  committee  to  prepare 
suitable  resolutions  respecting  Col.  Kerr. 

After  singing  "John  Brown's  Body"  and  "Marching  through 
Georgia,"  the  meeting  broke  up,  and  the  reunion  of  1885  was  a 
thing  of  the  past. 


Proceedings  Fourth  Reunion 

September  4th,  1556,  Oregon,  Illinois 

PRESENT  107. 


BUSINESS   MEETING. 

The  fourth  annual  reunion  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Regiment 
Illinois  Volunteers,  was  held  in  the  fair  grounds,  Oregon, 
Illinois,  the  4th  of  September,  a  lovely  autumn  day. 

At  9:00  o'clock  in  the  morning  one  hundred  and  two  of  the 
members,  together  with  their  families,  arrived  from  the  north 
and  east  by  a  special  passenger  train,  which  conveyed  them  to 
Washington  street.  There  the  ladies  and  scions  of  the  comrades 
were  received  by  comrades  Albany  Matmiller,  John  Matmiller, 
Daniel  Farrell  and  D.  Stout,  transferred  to  the  fair  grounds  in 
carriages,  while  the  veterans  formed  in  two  ranks,  headed  by 
their  Major  Dutcher,  and  with  three  stands  of  their  old  colors,  to 
martial  music,  marched  over  the  route.  They  were  a  fine  ap- 
pearing body  of  representative  men,  and  none  who  saw  them 
marching  knee  to  knee  and  shoulder  to  shoulder,  could  repress 
the  patriotic  feelings  that  become  every  true  American. 

The  exercises  were  held  just  north-east  of  Art  Hall,  where 
seats  had  been  arranged  beneath  a  clump  of  trees. 

The  forenoon  was  devoted  to  a  business  meeting,  at  which 
comrade  Joseph  F.  Hawthorne,  President,  presided,  and  social 
intercourse.  Officers  were  elected  for  the  ensuing  two  years: 

HOSMER  P.   HOLLAND,  Co.  C.  President. 


110  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

James  S.  Cowwan Company  A 

Charles  E.    Wells "          B 

Cyrus  Miller "          C 

John  Bronson "         D 

David  Dawson ^ '•'         E 

Lemuel   Fuller "          F 

George  Petrie e "          G 

Geo.  S.   Lockwood "         H 

Jacob   Wagner "  I 

H.  B.  Utter "         K 

JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,   Co.  K,  Secretary. 

ROBERT  SIMPSON,   Co.   C,   Treasurer. 

Moved  and  seconded  that  a  committee  of  two  be  appointed 
to  prepare  a  history  of  the  regiment  from  June,  1864,  to  the  fall 
of  Atlanta.  Carried. 

T.  F.    HAWTHORNE,  |,,          ... 
*,     -n     u  VCommittee. 

H.   P.    HOLLAND,     j 

On  motion  of  H.  P.  Holland,  Capt.  J.  H.  Sherratt  was  re- 
quested to  submit  a  paper  at  the  next  reunion,  righting  the  in- 
justice done  to  Gen.  George  H.  Thomas  by  Gen.  Grant  in  his 
"Memoirs." 

The  following  resolution  was  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  the  report  of  the  committee  be  approved,  and 
the  original  flag  and  banner  be  forwarded  to  Springfield  and 
placed  in  Memorial  Hall. 

On  motion,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  extended  to  Mrs.  Clara  W. 
Hart,  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  by  members  of  the  regiment. 

It  was  decided  that  the  next  reunion  should  be  held  at  Rock- 
ford  the  last  Wednesday  in  August,  1888. 

At  least  two  hundred  sat  down  to  the  bounteous  dinner  pro- 
vided by  the  ladies  of  Co.  G  residing  in  Oregon.  The  number 
represented  several  other  regiments,  and  they  declared  the  din- 
ner splendid,  and  gave  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  the  loyal 
ladies  for  the  magnificent  banquet,  which  included  both  dinner 
and  supper,  provided  gratuitously.  And  since  the  reunion  com- 
rade Farrell  received  a  letter  from  comrades  in  Rockford,  reiter- 
ating thanks  to  the  ladies  of  Co.  G,  and  those  ladies  who  so 
kindly  assisted  them.  Chaplain  Barton  Cartwright,  of  the  Nine- 
ty-second regiment,  asked  an  old-style  army  blessing. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  Ill 

The  regiment  was  also  drawn  up  in  line  and  photographed. 

Company  G's  "red-headed  negro,"  (represented  by  Dan. 
Farrell's  son,  "Preacher,"  came  riding  into  camp  on  his  small 
black  mule,  loaded  down  with  forage.  On  each  side  of  his 
saddle  hung  hams,  live  chickens,  potatoes,  corn,  an  old  army 
blanket,  a  "Dutch"  oven,  and  he  carried  a  musket.  He  made  a 
typical  contraband. 


AFTERNOON   SESSION. 

ADDRESS    OF    WELCOME    BY    MAYOR    R.    C.    BURCHKLL. 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Seventy-fourth :  xAgain  I 
am  fortunate  in  being  allowed  the  privilege,  the  honor  I  had 
better  said,  to  address  some  of  the  late  soldiers  of  the  late  war 
for  the  Union.  In  this  regard  I  have  been  lucky,  for  it  was  only 
the  other  day  that  a  like  honor  was  conferred  upon  me,  and  a 
like  duty  performed;  then  it  was  to  the  old  soldiers  of  this  county 
in  the  aggregate,  to  men  who,  when  they  were  indeed  soldiers, 
and  doing  duty  as  such,  belonged  to  many  companies  and  many 
regiments;  to-day  I  am  for  a  like  purpose,  to  address  the  same 
men  and  others,  not  as  then  as  the  old  soldiers  of  Ogle  county, 
but  as  the  Seventy-fourth  regiment.  I  know  well  that  to  the 
loyal  and  patriotic  people  of  this  little  city  it  will  never  make  any 
difference  how  the  old  soldier  comes,  whether  singly,  in  squads, 
in  companies  or  in  regiments,  and  that  any  one  of  the  regiments 
raised  in  Illinois  would  be  heartily  and  bountifully  welcomed  by 
this  generous  people;  while  there  are  just  an  hundred  good  and 
sufficient  reasons  why  the  Seventy-fourth  should  be  especially 
welcome,  and  that  one  alone  of  that  hundred  would  be  sufficient 
to  secure  it.  Ogle  county,  I  believe,  in  her  generous  giving  to 
the  army,  could  spare  but  one  company  to  that  gallant  regiment, 
but  what  she  lacked  in  numbers  she  made  up  in  quality.  I  should 
like  to,  but  of  course  cannot,  follow  this  regiment  from  the  battle 
of  Perryville,  in  which,  through  some  official  incompetency,  it 
failed  to  have  a  share,  to  that  at  Franklin,  while  under  the  brave, 
the  wise  and  prudent  Gen.  Thomas,  the  boys  of  the  Seventy- 
fourth  did  honor  to  themselves  and  the  State,  and  shared  in  the 
glory  of  one  of  the  most  decisive  battles  and  victories  of  the  war. 
Would  that  we  could  linger  by  the  way  between  the  points  to 
note  the  acts  of  individual,  of  personal  bravery  and  daring,  which 


112  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

so  adorned  the  record  made  by  this  regiment.  Such  may  become 
matters  of  history,  and  they  may  not,  for  usually  the  brave  deeds 
of  the  private  soldier  is  merged  in  the  fame  of  the  chief  in  com- 
mand, and  are  but  so  many  sprigs  in  his  crown  of  laurels ;  this 
is  why  the  history  of  the  war,  with  all  its  lights  and  shades,  with 
all  its  varied  circumstances,  can  never  be,  is  never  fully  known. 
Full  many  an  act  of  individual  daring,  chivalrous  dash  and  bear- 
ing, which  perhaps  turned  the  tide  of  battle  and  brought  victory 
where  defeat  seemed  imminent,  seen  and  known  by  but  a  few,  is 
lost  in  the  general  whole,  without  special  credit  to  the  doer. 
History  after  all  is  but  a  scanty  record,  mere  outlines  of  past 
events;  an  imperfect  and  meager  picture,  showing  large  things 
only,  with  camera  too  imperfect  and  light,  too  weak  to  receive 
and  transmit  the  finer  shades  of  incident,  of  character  and  of  men; 
but  this  is  unavoidable,  .and  we  must  be  content  with  what  we 
have;  and,  as  a  regiment,  the  Seventy-fourth  has  much — how 
much,  let  Perryville,  where,  though  not  actually  engaged,  did 
good  work  in  capturing  baggage  trains  and  prisoners,  Nolensville, 
Stone  River, Liberty  Gap,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Rockyface 
Ridge,  Resaca,  Adairsville,  Dallas,  Lost  Mountain,  Kenssaw 
Mountain,  Smyrna,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  Love- 
joy,  Columbia,  Spring  Hill,  Franklin  and  Nashville  tell. 

It  would  indeed  be  an  ungrateful  country,  a  heartless  and 
forgetful  people,  who  should  fail  to  appreciate  such  services,  or 
undervalue  the  heroes  by  whom  they  were  rendered.  That  day 
I  hope  will  never  come,  when  the  men  who  risked  so  much  and 
achieved  so  gloriously  will  be  forgotten  or  neglected.  The  bat- 
tles you  helped  to  win,  the  victories  you  bore  so  gallant  a  part 
in  achieving,  were  not  the  battles  of  one  nation  alone,  but  were 
the  battles  of  civilized  humanity  everywhere;  and  the  victories 
primarily  won  in  behalf  of  home  and  country,  reached,  and  must 
continue  to  reach,  as  far  as  to  the  most  distant  intelligence  on 
every  spot  of  this  planet  of  ours.  To  you  in  part  were  intrusted 
the  most  valuable  interests  of  the  race;  into  your  hands  and  that 
of  your  brave  comrades  in  arms  from  all  the  faithful  states,  the 
nation,  the  people  placed  that  flag;  consecrated  to  freedom  by 
the  blood  of  the  earlier  patriots,  and  like  them  you  pledged  your 
lives,  your  fortunes  and  your  sacred  honor  to  defend  and  sustain  it. 
You  have  kept  your  pledge  to  the  very  letter,  for  there  it  waves, 
the  sacred  emblem  of  man's  dearest  rights,  brighter,  purer,  great- 


SEVENTY- FOURTH  ILL.  REGIMENT.  113 

er  than  before;  greater,  because  more  stars  are  seen  to  cluster 
around  the  old  thirteen,  purer  and  brighter  because  the  foul 
spots  that  once  so  marred  and  hid  its  beauty  have  been  washed 
out  in  the  blood  of  the  later  patriots.  Holy  banner  of  liberty, 
twice  consecrated,  twice  dedicated  to  human  progress,  let  us 
hope  that  the  hand  of  wicked  treason,  or  the  senseless  ambition 
of  designing  men,  may  never  assail  it  again;  from  outside  foes  it 
has  nothing  to  fear,  it  is  beyond  the  point  of  possible  danger, 
for  millions  as  brave,  as  stout  of  heart,  as  full  of  love  of  country, 
as  devoted  to  the  cause  of  equal  rights  for  all  men  as  its  late  de- 
fenders, are  keeping  watch  and  guard  about  it,  ready  at  a  mo- 
ment's warning  to  protect  it  with  their  bodies,  and  if  need  be 
with  their  lives,  even  as  a  mother  would  her  offspring;  a  child 
its  parents,  or  the  father  the  household  gods,  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren. From  one  source  alone  was  danger  to  be  apprehended; 
that  danger  came,  was  met,  and  by  you,  and  others  like  you,  con- 
quered and  finally  subdued. 

What  then?  What  should  follow?  O!  nothing,  we  hope, 
but  a  time  of  a  nation's  prosperity  and  peace,  wherein  the  people 
on  our  borders  now  called  aliens,  may  learn  from  us  the  worth 
and  excellence  of  republican  institutions,  and  claim  and  get  place 
in  the  great  family  of  states,  with  the  right  to  hail  that  flag  as 
their  own;  a  time  when  education  among  the  people  shall  be  as 
cheap  and  common  as  the  air;  a  time  when  the  words  of  the 
teacher  shall  be  understood  by  himself  and  his  pupils,  and  lead  us 
to  a  better  knowledge  of  ourselves. 

The  people  here  watched  this  gallant  regiment  from  the  time 
it  broke  camp  at  Rockford  till  the  day  when  all  that  was  left  of 
our  share  of  it  came  back  to  us.  But,  alas,  some  were  missing, 
some  were  left  behind  to  return  no  more;  in  every  battle  some 
hero  fell,  some  patriot  was  found  among  the  slain.  But  at  Ken- 
esaw,  if  comparison  may  be  used  without  injustice,  we  met  our 
heaviest  loss,  for  there  the  brave  and  competent  soldier  and  cap- 
tain, Bowman  W.  Bacon,  fell.  I  do  not  say  that  others  were 
not  as  brave,  but  none  were  braver;  I  do  not  say  that  others  in 
this  regiment  were  not  as  competent,  but  none  were  more  so. 
We  in  this  vicinity  knew  him  well,  and  built  largely  on  a  brilli- 
ant future  for  him,  for  he  was  a  born  soldier  and  loved  the  place 
he  filled  so  well;  but  this  was  not  to  be.  Death  came  too  soon 
and  cancelled  the  fairest  promises  for  future  fame  and  future  use 


114  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

fulness.  He  met  his  fate  like  a  hero  and  a  philosopher.  When 
the  attending  surgeon  advised  him  that  the  end  was  near,  he 
calmly  replied,  "Well,  doctor,  what  matters  it;  many  braver  and 
greater  men  have  died  in  this  cause."  Brave  heart,  noble  sol- 
dier, braver  never  died  for  any  cause,  and  greatness  failed,  wast- 
ing opportunity!  But  he  was  right;  for  what  does  it  matter  when 
the  order  comes,  if,  when  it  does  come,  we  are  not  found  sleep- 
ing on  our  post.  He  was  not,  for  it  overtook  him  with  his  face 
to  the  foe,  doing  battle  for  the  right;  and  he  could  have  added, 
as  a  truthful  and  farewell  message  to  his  friends  and  comrades, 
the  grand,  unselfish  thought  of  another: 

"Whether  on  the  scaffold  high, 

Or  in  the  battle's  van, 
The  fittest  place  for  man  to  die 
Is  where  he  dies  for  man." 

He  was  not 'alone;  there  were  thousands  to  whom  the 
language  of  the  poet  would  have  justly  applied.  For  his  sake, 
if  for  no  other,  the  Seventy-fourth  would  be  received  and  sin- 
cerely welcomed;  but  in  addition  there  are  the  ninety-nine  others 
who  went  out  with  him  to  do  duty  in  the  same  cause,  and  were 
not  all  the  men  of  this  regiment  neighbors  from  the  adjoining 
counties?  Is  it  surprising  then  that  your  welcome  here  should 
be  hearty  and  genuine,  when  we  remember  so  well  how  gallant- 
ly you  assisted  in  restoring  peace  to  your  country.  For  this 
you  have,  and  always  must  have,  the  good  will  of  all  good  men. 

In  the  name  of  the  people  of  this  city,  then,  I  bid  you  wel- 
come, as  hearty  as  your  desires  could  make  it,  regretting  that 
your  ranks  are  not  fuller,  and  that  the  people  here  were  not  per- 
mitted a  larger  share  in  providing  for  your  comforts  during  your 
brief  stay  with  us.  Be  assured  that  we  are  glad  to  see  and  wel- 
come you,  and  that  we  hope  that  this  reunion  maybe  remember- 
ed as  one  of  the  most  pleasant  yet  held  by  this  regiment. 

In  response,  comrade  H.  P.  Holland,  of  Co.  C,  accepted  the 
evidences  of  genuine  welcome,  and  congratulated  the  regiment 
on  their  good  fortune  in  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  good  Sam- 
aritans of  the  inimitable  resort.  He  touched  upon  the  record  of 
the  regiment  with  commendable  pride. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  115 

HISTORY  OF  THE  SEVENTY-FOURTH  REGIMENT 
FROM  THE  OCCUPATION  OF  CHATTANOOGA  TO 
THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  ATLANTA  CAMPAIGN. 

BY    ROBERT    SIMPSON. 

Comrades  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois:  The  duty  of  preparing 
a  paper  to  be  read  on  this  occasion,  the  fourth  annual  reunion 
and  twenty-fourth  anniversary  of  our  muster  into  the  service  of 
the  United  States,  devolves  upon  me,  by  your  action  taken  a 
year  ago  at  our  third  reunion  held  at  Rockford. 

Craving  the  indulgence  and  charity  of  my  old  comrades-in- 
arms in  this  attempt  of  mine  to  refresh  your  remembrance  of 
those  trying  times  when  we  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  for  the  unity 
and  preservation  of  our  common  cause. 

I  have  been  greatly  aided  in  the  preparation  of  these  remin- 
iscences by  comrade  Black,  of  Co.  A,  now  of  Jessup,  Iowa,  and 
comrades  Holland  and  Beatson,  of  Rockford. 

Twenty-four  years  ago  to-day  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois, 
with  uplifted  hands  and  bared  heads,  took  the  solemn  obligatfon 
to  defend  with  their  lives  the  integrity  of  the  republic  and  the 
unity  of  her  people;  to  carry  that  starry  flag,  and  bring  it  back 
unsullied  from  the  field  of  battle. 

How  well  they  performed  that  duty  let  the  silent  mounds 
that  mark  the  last  resting  places  of  our  fallen  comrades  all  the 
way  from  the  Chattahoochee,  in  the  valley  and  on  the  hillside, 
by  mountain  and  stream,  by  forest  and  field,  by  the  empty  sleeve, 
by  the  crippled  and  maimed  soldier — all  tell  more  eloquently 
than  I  can  a  duty  well  performed. 

Comrades,  the  subject  of  this  paper  is  a  continuation  of  the 
series  that  will  ultimately  form  a  connected  history  of  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth Illinois. 

I  will  begin  with  the  occupation  of  Chattanooga  in  Septem- 
ber, 1863,  and  close  with  the  great  Atlanta  campaign  of  1864. 

In  the  forenoon  of  September  '22nd,  1863,  we,  with  our  bri- 
gade, entered  Chattanooga  and  rejoined  our  division,  from  which 
we  had  been  separated  since  September  8th,  and  at  once  renew- 
ed our  acquaintance  with  the  picks  and  shovels  we  left  at  Mur- 
freesboro.  On  the  23rd  we  formed  our  lines  on  the  north  bank 
of  Chattanooga  Creek,  a  considerable  stream,  with  steep  banks, 
that  empties  into  the  Tennessee  river  near  the  foot  of  Lookout 


116  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

Mountain.  Here  we  found  a  good  line  of  works,  which  we  con- 
tinued to  strengthen  until  they  would  resist  cannon  shot. 

That  afternoon  a  Confederate  scout  rode  down  to  the  fort, 
in  our  front,  and  coolly  watered  his  horse.  Many  of  the  Seven-ty- 
fourth  were  in  and  about  the  creek  and  could  easily  have  caught 
his  bridle-rein,  had  they  known  who  he  was,  but  supposing  him 
to  be  a  Union  spy  they  did  not  interfere  until  he  leisurely  turned 
the  horse  up  the  south  bank.  When  the  cry  "reb"  was  raised, 
he  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  was  out  of  sight  in  the  woods  be- 
fore those  of  us  on  the  north  bank  could  fire  a  shot,  although  not 
more  than  fifty  feet  distant. 

While  strengthening  the  works,  Co.  C  was  thrown  forward 
across  Lookout  creek,  some  distance  in  front,  into  a  thick  wood, 
and  formed  a  picket  line  in  front  of  our  regiment  to  guard  against 
surprise,  and  remained  on  the  line  all  of  that  night.  About  ten 
o'clock  in  the  evening  the  pickets  on  our  left,  belonging  to  the 
Twenty-second  Indiana,  were  attacked  and  driven  back  to  the 
main  line  across  the  creek.  Our  left  was  also  driven  back  for 
some  distance,  and  took  cover  in  the  woods.  The  reserve  im- 
mediately deployed  as  skirmishers,  to  cover  the  retreat  of  our  vi- 
dette  pickets,  who  were  driven  some  distance,  but  soon  formed  a 
new  line,  and  held  it  with  more  or  less  skirmishing  until  morning. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  24th,  the  Seventy-fourth  andTwenty- 
second  Indiana  made  a  reconnoisance  to  the  south  side  of  the 
creek,  to  feel  the  enemy  and  ascertain  their  position  and  strength. 
We  soon  found  them  in  strong  force,  and  after  exchanging  a  few 
shots  we  marched  leisurely  back  to  camp,  with  the  loss  of  one 
man  wounded.  We  remained  on  this  line  eight  days,  sleeping 
in  the  trenches  every  night,  I  think,  without  tents  and  with  few 
blankets,  and  suffered  much  in  the  night  for  want  of  them. 

About  October  1st  this  line  was  abandoned,  and  we  moved 
nearer  town,  just  south  of  the  union  depot,  and  facing  the  south 
toward  Lookout  Mountain.  Here  we  formed  a  much  shorter  cir- 
cular line;  the  left  wing  of  the  army  resting  on  the  Tennessee 
river,  at  the  outskirts  of  the  town  on  the  north-east;  our  right 
resting  on  the  river,  between  the  town  and  Lookout  Mountain. 
We  also  held  and  fortified  what  was  known  as  Moccasin  Point, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Our  batteries  from  that  point  vig- 
orously replied  to  the  enemy's  batteries  stationed  on  the  extreme 
point  of  Lookout. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  117 

Every  few  days  it  was  reported  that  Bragg  gave  notice  that 
he  was  about  to  shell  the  place,  and  to  have  the  women  and  chil- 
dren removed  to  a  place  of  safety.  No  attention  was  paid  to  it; 
however,  he  would  keep  up  a  sort  of  desultory  shelling  for  two 
or  three  days,  and  sometimes  nights,  from  the  tops  of  Lookout 
and  Missionary  Ridge;  but  it  did  us  very  little  damage;  only  oc- 
casionally forcing  us  to  take  cover  behind  our  entrenchments. 
When  we  abandoned  our  outer  line  of  works  all  the  fine  resi- 
dences in  the  suburbs  were  burned  down  and  destroyed,  to  pre- 
vent the  enemy's  using  them  as  protection  for  their  sharpshoot- 
ers, and  to  give  our  artillery  a  chance  to  play  if  the  enemy  made 
an  attempt  to  carry  the  place  by  storm;  the  trees,  for  the  same 
purpose,  were  all  cut  away. 

About  this  time  a  flag  of  truce  was  sent  out  to  the  Confed- 
erate lines  to  make  arrangements  with  them  to  send  out  our  am- 
bulances to  the  Chickamauga  battle  field  to  bring  in  our  wound- 
ed, who  still  remained  on  that  bloody  field.  Accordingly  the 
next  day  four  or  five  hundred  ambulances  went  out;  they  were 
met  at  the  lines,  and  our  drivers  gave  up  their  places  to  the 
"Johnnies,"  who  took  them  out  to  the  battle  field,  and  return- 
ed the  next  day  loaded  with  our  wounded  comrades.  This  was 
repeated  for  three  days  before  they  were  all  brought  in. 

During  October  and  part  of  November  we  worked  on  the 
fortifications.  One  fort  I  well  remember,  the  Star  fort,  just  west 
of  town,  and  a  little  south-eastof  Camaron's  Hill,  we  built  a  large 
share  of  it.  By  October  5th  we  were  on  less  than  half  rations, 
except  beef,  and  that  was  extremely  poor,  having  been  driven 
on  foot  all  the  way  from  Louisville,  Kentucky,  a  distance  of  near- 
ly three  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Many  of  the  supplies  we  usu- 
ally got  were  omitted  entirely. 

For  a  long  time  all  supplies  had  to  be  transported  from 
Bridgeport,  Alabama,  only  thirty-seven  miles  by  rail,  but  ninety 
miles  by  Jasper,  and  over  Waldon's  Ridge;  afterward  this  dis- 
tance was  somewhat  reduced  by  keeping  the  river  road  with  the 
loaded  teams,  and  running  the  gauntlet  of  the  rebel  sharp-shoot- 
ers, stationed  at  a  place  on  the  river  called  the  narrows.  Here 
many  of  the  mules  were  killed,  and  some  of  the  drivers  lost  their 
lives. 

About  October  15th  we  had  had  nothing  issued  to  us  for  an 
entire  day,  but  a  train  was  expected,  and  we  were  told  it 


118  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

would  be  in  at  mid-day.  Many  soldiers  were  on  Cameron's  Hill 
and  other  points  anxiously  watching  the  points  on  Waldron's 
Ridge  (about  eight  miles  distant)  where  the  train  could  be  first 
seen  as  it  descended  the  mountain.  However,  time  passed;  ten 
o'clock,  eleven  o'clock,  and  even  two  p.  m.,  and  yet  no  train  in 
sight.  At  three  o'clock  a  solitary  horseman  was  seen  approach- 
ing the  pontoon  bridge,  and,  as  he  was  not  halted,  we  knew  he 
was  the  bearer  of  important  dispatches  to  the  general  in  com- 
mand. On  he  rode  directly  to  Gen.  Rosecrans'  headquarters. 
Bad  news  spread  rapidly  in  the  army  as  well  as  elsewhere,  and 
it  was  but  a  few  minutes  until  we  learned  that  Wheeler's  cavalry 
had  captured  the  train  and  burned  four  hundred  wagons,  besides 
driving  off  or  stampeding  three  thousand  head  of  cattle  that  were 
with  it. 

The  situation  was  truly  discouraging;  and  yet,  to  the  ever- 
lasting credit  of  that  grand  old  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  we 
have  yet  to  hear  the  first  regret  or  complaint. 

In  these  later  days  it  is  said  that  an  evacuation  was  contem- 
plated. But  in  those  days  such  a  thing  was  never  contemplated, 
never  so  much  as  intimated.  All  were  willing  to  make  any  sac- 
rifice within  the  bounds  of  human'  endurance  to  hold  what  we 
had  gained.  However,  on  this  occasion  all  went  supperless  to 
sleep,  without  any  hope  of  getting  a  mouthful  of  food. 

On  the  morrow,  some  time  after  midnight,  we  awakened 
from  pleasant  dreams  of  a  good  dinner  at  home,  or  at  Miller's 
restaurant,  with  the  cry,  "get  up  and  get  your  beef."  At  first 
we  thought  it  was  a  camp  joke,  but  finally  got  up,  and  sure 
enough  there  it  was,  and  in  double  quantity.  It  seems  that  the 
authorities  at  Bridgeport  had  learned  that  Wheeler  had' crossed 
the  river  and  started  a  force  of  cavalry  to  overtake  the  train  which 
had  been  out  two  days. 

They  reached  the  ground  too  late  to  save  many  of  the  wagons, 
but  the  officer  in  charge,  knowing  the  desperate  strait  of  the 
army  at  Chattanooga,  at  once  set  his  men  to  collecting  a  herd  of 
scattered  cattle,  and  at  once  driving  them  in.  They  arrived,  as 
we  have  said,  in  time  to  furnish  meat  for  breakfast. 

Some  officers  are  lauded  for  courage  and  some  for  skill;  but 
this  one  has  on  the  tablets  of  my  memory  (although  I  never 
learned  his  name),  a  long  credit  mark  for  good  common  sense. 

When  we  first  began  to  get  short  rations,  we  used  to  eat  our 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  119 

three  days'  allowance  of  rations  the  first  day,  (at  least  it  was  so 
with  my  mess)  then  the  next  two  days  go  hungry,  or  skirmish 
around  for  something  to  eat.  We  generally  skirmished. 

A  favorite  mode  of  my  mess  was  to  go  down  to  the  warehouse 
in  the  evening  when  the  supply  trains  were  being  unloaded,  wait 
until  a  wagon  would  be  unloaded  and  drive  away; — most  of  the 
empty  wagons  had  a  great  many  pieces  of  broken  hard  tack  in 
the  bottom,  that  the  teamsters  would  take  to  the  corrall  with 
them,  to  eke  out  their  own  scanty  supply — watch  our  chance 
and  jump  on  to  the  tail-board  of  the  wagon,  reach  in  and  claw 
up  the  broken  pieces  and  throw  them  back  to  a  comrade  who 
would  follow  after  with  an  improvised  apron  made  from  a  "pup 
tent,  "to  catch  the  pieces  as  they  flew  back.  This  was  always 
done  on  the  fly,  for  then  the  noise  of  the  wheels  prevented  the 
driver  from  hearing  us  draw  our  extra  rations. 

As  the  fall  advanced  the  rains  set  in  and  made  the  roads  al- 
most impassable;  our  teams  and  artillery  horses  were  dying  by 
thousands  for  want  of  food;  in  fact,  we  could  not  stir  our  artil- 
lery at  all,  and  if  we  had  abandoned  the  place  it  would  all  have 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

The  long  continued  rains  also  damaged  our  supplies  in 
transit.  The  crackers  had  all  to  be  sorted  over  in  Chattanoo- 
ga before  being  issued.  Every  day  hundreds  of  soldiers  would 
congregate  at  the  warehouse  where  this  was  going  on,  and  wait 
around  until  a  quantity  was  assorted,  when  the  men  that  had  been 
sorting  would  take  the  poor  pieces  and  throw  them  out  among 
the  crowd  of  hungry  soldiers.  They  were  eagerly  seized  before 
they  reached  the  ground  and  were  considered  quite  a  bonanza 
to  the  nearly  famished  troops.  They  were  taken  to  camp  and 
fried  in  water;  and,  if  a  little  grease  could  be  added,  were  con- 
sidered quite  a  dainty  dish  that  had  a  distinctive  army  name  that 
died  with  the  war.  Even  bogus  butter  would  have  been  appre- 
ciated in  those  days. 

At  this  time  it  was  a  great  treat  to  be  detailed  to  guard  a 
forage  or  supply  train.  It  was  my  luck,  with  a  great  many  more 
of  our  brigade,  to  be  detached  to  guard  a  supply  train  to  Bridge- 
port and  return.  We  took  the  long  road  over  Waldron's  Ridge 
to  Bridgeport,  via  Sequachie  Valley,  Dunlap  and  Jasper.  The 
first  night  we  camped  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  and  during 
the  night  thirteen  of  our  mules  died  of  actual  starvation;  this  was 


120  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

followed  all  the  way,  but  not  to  so  great  an  extent.  I  made  an 
estimate  at  the  time,  that  on  the  two  roads  we  passed  over  there 
were  dead  mules  enough  to  have  made  one  continuous  line, 
placed  head  to  tails,  to  reach  from  Chattanooga  to  Bridgeport. 

After  arriving  at  Bridgeport,  a  party  of  us  were  detailed  to 
go  on  a  foraging  expedition  ten  or  twelve  miles  west  of  Stephen- 
son,  on  the  same  road  we  had  passed  over  before,  when  we 
moved  from  Winchester  to  Stephenson,  but  before  we  got  to  the 
forage  the  boys  deployed  as  skirmishers  and  began  a  fierce  at- 
tack on  pigs,  poultry  and  sheep;  but  the  great  event  of  the  day 
was  in  a  sheep  pasture  of  about  five  acres. 

Here  a  complete  line  was  formed  that  steadily  drove  the 
sheep  into  one  corner  (at  the  same  time  a  young  lady  of  sixteen 
or  seventeen  was  charging  the  rear  briskly,  and  kept  up  a  con- 
tinuous fire  of  stones,  chips,  and  other  missiles  that  were  handy), 
but  no  attention  was  paid  to  her.  Each  man  threw  down  his 
gun  and  seized  a  mutton,  some  as  many  as  two.  Fifteen  sheep 
were  captured.  We  loaded  them  into  wagons  and  drove  off. 
We  drove  half  a  mile  and  camped  for  the  night,  and  had  consid- 
erable more  than  half  rations  that  night,  but  were  not  quite  sat- 
isfied; so  we  went  back  to  where  we  got  the  sheep,  and  got  all 
the  old  gentleman's  bee-gums,  five  or  six  in  number. 

After  loading  up  with  the  forage  in  the  morning,  as  we  were 
passing  the  place  where  the  sheep  and  bee-gums  were  taken,  the 
old  gentleman  came  out  with  blood  in  his  eye,  panting  for  re- 
venge. He  asked  me  who  had  charge  of  the  train;  of  course  I 
was  totally  ignorant — knew  nothing  about  it;  but  this  did  not 
satisfy  him.  He  said  he  would  follow  us  to  town  and  report  us 
to  the  commander  of  the  Post.  He  accordingly  mounted  his 
horse  and  started.  This  alarmed  the  boys  a  little,  but  it  did  not 
last  long.  Some  of  the  Thirty-sixth  boys  that  were  along  with 
us  devised  a  plan  to  stop  him. 

They  accordingly  sent  a  few  of  their  number  ahead  and 
threw  a  picket  line  across  the  road.  (It  was  rather  risky  busi- 
ness, but  they  were  up  to  anything.)  He  came  up  to  the  line  and 
was  going  to  pass,  but  he  was  suddenly  halted.  He  said  he 
must  pass,  he  had  his  protection  papers.  They  said  it  was  no 
use,  they  had  positive  orders  to  pass  no  one.  He  remonstrated 
with  them  for  about  an  hour,  and  finally  gave  it  up  and  started 
for  home  in  a  furious  rage.  After  he  was  well  out  of  sight,  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  121 

improvised  picket  line  relieved  itself  and  came  in.  The  next 
morning  he  came  to  town  to  look  us  up,  but  his  search  was  fruit- 
less— we  looked  too  near  alike  to  be  recognized. 

After  leaving  Chattanooga  the  enemy  had  been  driven  from 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  so  that  our  supplies  could  be  trans- 
ported by  steamboat  to  Brown's  Ferry,  ten  miles  below  Chatta- 
nooga, and  instead  of  bringing  supplies  we  loaded  up  with  the 
surplus  baggage  that  had  come  down  from  Murfreesboro.  The 
same  we  guarded  back  from  Manchester  the  June  follow- 
ing. In  coming  back  we  followed  the  river,  passing  the  narrows 
where  we  had  been  so  molested  by  the  enemy's  sharpshooters. 

After  withdrawing  to  the  inner  line  of  works  our  supply  of 
fuel  was  very  short,  and  we  suffered  considerable  for  want  of  it. 
Everything  in  the  shape  of  wood  was  used  up.  On  the  south 
side  of  the  river  even  the  stumps  were  dug  up  by  the  roots  to 
eke  out  our  scanty  supply,  and  we  had  to  depend  on  getting  it 
from  the  north  side,  which  could  only  be  got  in  limited  quan- 
tities, on  account  of  the  poor  condition  of  teams. 

About  October  3d,  Generals  McCook  and  Crittenden  were 
relieved  from  the  command  of  the  Twentieth  and  Twenty-first 
corps  and  ordered  to  report  at  Indianapolis,  where  they  were 
submitted  to  an  investigation  by  a  military  commission.  What 
the  result  was  is  not  satisfactorily  known.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  no  matter  what  the  charges  or  findings  were,  they  will  al- 
ways stand  above  reproach  in  the  minds  of  the  men  they  led  at 
Champion  Hill,  at  Stone  River,  and  over  the  plains  and  mount- 
ains to  and  through  that  most  desperate  struggle  in  the  thickets 
along  the  Chickamauga.  At  once  these  two  corps  were  consoli- 
dated, becoming  the  Fourth,  with  Gen.  Gordon  Granger  its  com- 
mander. 

In  the  new  organization  we  were  brigaded  with  the  Thirty- 
sixth,  Forty-fourth,  Seventy-third  and  Eighty-eighth  Illinois, 
Second  and  Fifteenth  Missouri,  Twenty-second  Indiana  and 
Twenty-fourth  Wisconsin,  together  with  the  Seventy-fourth  Illi- 
nois, forming  the  first  brigade,  second  division,  fourth  army 
corps;  and  in  this  organization,  with  some  changes  of  regiments 
and  commanding  officers,  we  remained  during  the  remainder  of 
our  term  of  service.  Col.  Frank  Sherman,  of  the  Eighty-eighth, 
was  our  brigade  commander,  and  that  general  of  generals,  P.  H. 
Sheridan,  was  our  division  commander. 


122  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

About  this  time  the  sad  and  solemn  event,  the  execution  of 
two  deserters  of  our  brigade,  was  consummated,  of  which  an  ex- 
cellent account  is  given  by  Lieut.  Holland  in  the  first  pamphlet 
containing  the  proceedings  of  our  first  reunion. 

Following  the  removal  of  McCook,  Crittenden,  Negley  and 
others,  came  the  removal  of  Gen.  Rosecrans.  Gen.  Garfield, 
his  chief  of  staff,  having  received  a  nomination,  and  finally  elec- 
tion to  congress,  had  already  left  us.  We  received  the  touch- 
ing farewell  order  of  Gen.  Rosecrans  on  the  19th,  and  on  the 
21st  Gen.  George  H.  Thomas  took  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  as  it  afterward  proved,  remaining  at  the  head 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  During  this  time  the  authorities  at 
Washington  had  awakened  to  a  realizing  sense  of  the  import- 
ance of  Chattanooga,  and  had  determined  to  reinforce  the  army 
here,  and  hold  it  if  possible. 

To  this  end,  two  corps,  the  Twelfth,  under  Gen.  Howard, 
and  Eleventh,  under  Gen.  Hooker,  had  been  sent  from  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  and  began  arriving  at  Bridgeport  about  October 
10th.  Hooker  crossed  the  south  side  of  the  river  at  Bridgeport, 
advancing  toward  Wauhatchie,  near  the  western  base  of  Look, 
out  Mountain,  while  Howard  moved  up  by  the  way  of  Jasper* 
on  the  northern  side  of  the  river. 

Gen.  Grant  arrived  on  the  23d  of  October,  and  was  soon 
followed  by  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee> 
under  Gen.  Sherman,  from  Vicksburg  and  vicinity.  On  the 
night  of  October  27th,  Brown's  Ferry  was  captured  by  the  com- 
mand of  Gen.  Hazen,  which  had  dropped  down  the  river  in  boats 
unperceived  by  the  enemy  on  the  banks  near  Lookout  Mountain. 
This  established  a  short  route  across  Moccasin  Point  to  the 
command  of  Gen.  Hooker  at  Wauhatchie,  as  well  as  clearing 
the  enemy  from  the  south  bank  of  the  river  to  Bridgeport,  thus 
reducing  the  haul  by  wagons  more  than  half. 

Gen.  Grant,  in  his  article  on  Chattanooga,  says:  "That  from 
this  time  (the  opening  of  the  cracker  line)  the  army  was  placed 
on  full  rations."  This  is  certainly  a  mistake  so  far  as  we  are 
concerned.  We  at  no  time  received  full  rations  after  the  in 
vestment  of  Chattanooga  by  Bragg's  army  until  our  return  to 
Louden,  about  January  27th,  1864. 

I  remember  a  story  the  boys  told  of  a  member  of  the  regi- 
ment, who,  as  we  emerged  from  the  timber  in  the  final  assault  of 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  123 

Mission  Ridge,  looked  sadly  across  those  smooth  meadows  and 
up  the  heights,  whose  crest  was  a  perfect  volcano  of  fire  and  iron 
hail,  showering  upon  us,  then  looked  sadly  and  seriously  around 
for  a  moment,  then  with  the  remark,  "Oh,  h — 1,  boys,  there  is 
no  use  to  try  that  on  an  empty  stomach,"  turned  back  into  the 
woods,  and  complacently  watched  the  rest  make  the  trial. 

The  clothing  supply  was  also  extremely  short  at  this  time, 
many  of  the  soldiers  having  but  articles  of  clothing  upon  their 
person,  except  coat  and  pants,  and  those  more  or  less  tattered. 

Rations  were  distributed  on  the  Ridge  the  night  of  the  25th, 
with  the  understanding  that  it  was  a  sort  of  treat,  (something 
like  the  folks  at  home  would  give  the  children  a  piece  of  pie  be- 
tween meals  for  good  conduct),  and  were  afterwards  surprised 
that  they  should  be  counted  out  of  their  three  days'  rations  with 
which  we  were  to  be  supplied  for  the  march  to  Knoxville,  thus 
leaving  us  to  start  out  on  that  trip  with  slender  haversacks. 

However,  from  the  occupation  of  Brown's  Ferry  prepara- 
tions went  rapidly  forward,  and  to  the  most  casual  observer  it 
was  plain  that  a  determined  effort  would  soon  be  made  to  get 
rid  of  our  unpleasant  neighbors.  While  there  was  no  great  ac- 
tivity in  our  camps,  yet  every  order  that  reached  us  pointed  to 
the  fact  that  we  would  soon  be  wanted. 

An  extra  amount  of  ammunition  was  distributed,  guns  were 
put  in  order,  pickets  increased,  and  a  little  before  noon  of  Mon- 
day, November  23rd,  orderlies  and  staff  officers  might  have  been 
seen  dashing  about  through  the  various  camps  in  our  vicinity. 
The  drums  beat,  the  bugles  blew  the  "fall  in."  calls,  company 
and  regimental  officers  appeared  among  the  men  with  but  one 
sentence  upon  their  lips,  "fall  in,  men;  fall  in  at  once."  In  a 
moment  we  were  ready,  the  lines  were  formed,  and  we  moved 
out  upon  the  plain,  south-east  of  the  city.  After  getting  out 
perhaps  a  mile  from  our  entrenchments,  the  lines  of  battle  were 
formed,  our  division  fronting  the  south-east,  in  the  direction  of 
Rossville.  In  this  way  we  moved  to  just  beyond  our  old  picket 
lines,  which  were  perhaps  one  and  a  half  or  one  and  three-quar- 
ter miles  from  our  entrenched  camp. 

During  the  afternoon  and  evening  some  skirmishing  took 
place,  and  a  few  of  the  enemy's  pickets  were  captured  by  our 
skirmishers.  As  other  divisions  took  their  assigned  places  in 
the  line  of  battle,  our  division  gave  way  to  the  left,  thus  turning 


124  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

our  front  nearly  due  east,  or  directly  toward  Mission  Ridge. 
Early  in  the  morning  of  the  24th,  the  Seventy-fourth  occupied 
the  south-east  slope  of  the  knoll,  now  the  center  of  the  national 
cemetery,  and  remained  in  this  position  until  ordered  forward 
upon  the  final  assault.  During  the  24th  and  morning  of  the 
25th,  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  battle  above  the  clouds  as  Hook- 
er's men  swept  around  the  end  of  Lookout  to  our  left.  Sherman 
was  not  idle,  and  the  thunders  of  his  guns  told  how  determined 
was  the  resistance  which  he  met.  The  night  of  the  24th  became 
misty  and  dark  at  an  early  hour,  leaving  the  battle  on  Lookout, 
as  far  as  we  could  see,  undecided. 

The  morning  of  the  25th  was  bright  and  clear,  and  all  eyes 
were  turned  eagerly  toward  the  point  of  Lookout,  hoping  to  see 
the  stars  and  stripes  floating  there.  I  have  it  from  comrade 
Black  that  just  before  sunrise  he  went  up  to  the  knoll  to  get  a 
better  view  of  things  on  the  mountain,  and  while  there,  just  as 
the  sun  rose,  an, officer,  accompanied  by  a  single  orderly,  rode 
up,  coming  apparently  from  Chattanooga,  he  immediately  took 
out  his  field  glass  and  began  to  scan  the  mountain.  In  a  moment 
I  asked  him  if  that  was  surely  the  Union  flag  we  could  see  on 
the  point,  he  replied,  without  looking  at  me,  "it  certainly  is, 
sir."  Just  then  the  sun  shone  out  bright  and  clear,  and  every 
one  could  see,  without  the  aid  of  a  glass,  the  broad  stripes  and 
bright  stars  as  they  floated  in  the  mountain  breeze.  Cheer  upon 
cheer  went  up — I  believe  prouder,  louder  and  more  triumphant 
than  this  continent  had  ever  heard  before. 

The  stolid,  pre-occupied  face  of  the  officer  who  had  first 
made  the  announcement  while  looking  through  his  glasses,  was 
moved  to  considerable  animation  by  the  cheering  of  the  troops. 
Meanwhile  staff  officers  began  to  arrive,  when  the  officer  put  up 
his  glass.  Writing  a  dispatch  upon  the  pommel  of  his  saddle,  he 
handed  it  to  one  of  them,  saying,  "take  this  to  Gen.  Howard 
with  my  compliments."  I  then  surmised  that  the  officer  must 
be  Gen.  Grant,  which  was  confirmed  by  asking  a  staff  officer  close 

by. 

During  the  morning  of  the  25th,  the  battle  on  the  north  end 
of  Mission  Ridge,  where  Sherman's  command  was  engaged,  be- 
came fiercer  every  moment.  From  our  position,  we  could  see  an 
almost  continuous  stream  of  the  enemy's  troops  marching  north- 
ward upon  the  Ridge.  Meanwhile  Hooker  was  making  his  way 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  125 

slowly  across  the  valley  toward  Rossville,  while  we  remained 
stationary,  hour  after  hour,  expecting  every  moment  to  be  called 
into  action.  About  2:00  o'clock  the  order  came;  the  lines  form- 
ed, and  we  moved  out  a  short  distance  in  front,  there  to  await 
the  signal  to  move  forward  to  the  Ridge. 

About  3:00  o'clock  Gen.  Sheridan  appeared  in  sight  a  short 
distance  to  our  left,  and  in  a  moment  the  orders  were  given  and 
repeated  to  every  regiment  to  move  forward.  Our  brigade  was 
formed  in  three  lines,  of  three  regiments  front,  the  Seventy-fourth 
occupying  the  left  of  the  rear  line.  We  had  advanced  scarcely 
a  dozen  rods  when  the  signal  was  fired  from  Orchard  Knob,  and 
consisted  of  nine  guns  fired  in  threes,  that  is,  each  three  fired 
rapidly  with  a  little  space  between.  At  the  signal  we  moved 
forward  rapidly,  until  within  forty  rods  of  the  eastern  edge  of  the 
timber  which  we  were  then  passing  through. 

At  this  point  we  were  moved  by  the  right  flank,  which 
brought  us  out  into  the  open  field,  of  just  the  width  of  our  brig- 
ade. When  nicely  out  in  the  opening  we  were  moved  by  the  left 
flank  directly  forward,  at  the  double  quick,  across  the  smooth 
meadow  to  the  base  of  the  Ridge. 

This  movement  to  the  right  brought  our  entire  brigade  out 
into  the  open  ground,  a  few  minutes  before  the  troops  upon 
either  to  right  or  left  of  us,  and  drew  upon  us  the  concentrated 
fire  of  perhaps  a  dozen  batteries.  With  fixed  bayonets  and  lusty 
cheers  we  charged  rapidly  forward,  finding  that  the  more  we 
hastened  forward  the  less  danger  from  the  enemy's  shells,  as 
they  did  not  depress  their  guns  enough,  and  to  a  great  extent 
overshot  us  in  crossing  the  meadow.  I  have  always  believed 
that  this  fact  gave  us  the  lead  in  the  race  which  we  maintained 
to  the  end.  The  terrific  fire  of  the  enemy's  artillery  was  such  as 
to  be  not  easily  effaced  from  memory. 

Gen.  Grant  admits  he  "  never  saw  anything  like  it  elsewhere," 
yet,  he  adds,  "it  did  but  little  harm."  To  the  harm  part,  will 
say  that  the  troops  of  our  division,  1128  men  and  172  officers 
killed  and  wounded  within  an  hour  proves  it  to  have  been  as 
destructive  as  we  could  wish  for. 

While  on  this  subject  let  me  call  your  attention  to  the  fact 
that  out  of  an  army  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  divisions  the  total  loss 
was  five  thousand,  while  Sheridan's  division  alone  loses  thirteen 
hundred,  or  one-fourth  of  their  whole  number.  I  have  never 


126  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

learned  the  loss  of  Wood's  division  of  our  corps,  but  supposing 
it  to  have  been  the  same  as  ours — assuming  this  to  be  correct — 
we  find  that  the  two  divisions  of  the  Fourth  corps  lost  fifty-two  per 
cent,  of  the  loss  of  the  entire  army. 

As  before  stated,  the  rapidity  with  which  the  Confederates 
served  their  artillery  was  truly  marvelous,  and  had  they  been 
firing  at  us  from  a  level,  instead  of  from  the  top  of  the  Ridge, 
it  could  mean  nothing  but  annihilation.  The  Twenty-second 
Indiana  occupied  the  line  directly  in  front  of  us,  and  just  as  we 
got  well  started  in  the  open  ground,  a  sergeant  of  Co.  B,  well 
known  to  many  of  us,  (name  now  forgotten)  was  struck  in  the 
head  by  a  cannon  shot,  the  headless  trunk  falling  at  our  feet. 

As  we  approached  the  first  line  at  the  base  of  the  Ridge,  a 
part  of  the  occupants  fled  up  the  hill,  others  tumbled  over  to  our 
side  of  the  works.  It  was  amusing  to  see  the  rebs  come  tumb- 
ling down  the  hill  after  being  taken  prisoners — they  came  crawl- 
ing on  their  hands  and  knees,  sometimes  their  knapsacks  flying 
over  their  heads.  One  chap  held  up  his  meal  bag  over  the  top 
of  a  log  for  a  flag  of  truce,  to  let  us  know  that  he  had  surrender- 
ed. Some  of  the  prisoners  intimated  that  we  would  "catch 
h-11  a  little  further  up, "  with  some  truth  too.  The  ground  being 
so  smooth  over  which  we  passed,  that  we  were  able  to  maintain 
almost  perfect  lines,  each  regiment  holding  its  relative  position 
in  the  line;  thus  it  was  that  a  part  of  the  advanced  line  or  lines 
reached  the  rifle  pits  in  advance  of  us,  and  took  shelter  therein 
at  this  moment,  and  before  we  of  the  Seventy-fourth  had  reached 
the  ditch. 

Gen.  Sheridan  rode  down  the  line  from  the  left,  and  by  or- 
der and  entreaty,  and  by  example  of  personal  courage  never  sur- 
passed upon  any  battle  field,  carried  the  men  forward  over  the 
works  and  on  to  that  greatest  victory  and  effort  of  our  lives. 

Of  course  we  do  not  know  what  orders  may  have  been  issued 
to  corps,  division  and  brigade  commanders,  but  we  do  know 
positively  that  at  this  point  Gen.  Sheridan,  without  a  moment's 
hesitation  or  faltering,  by  voice,  by  manner,  by  gesture,  urged 
the  men  forward.  No  time  then  for  red-tape,  to  send  orders  by 
way  of  brigade  commanders,  he  appealed  directly  to  the  men  in 
the  rank,  and  he  did  not  appeal  in  vain.  Under  the  influence 
of  that  voice,  inspired  by  the  magnetism  and  courage  of  the  man, 
there  was  not  a  soldier  but  would  have  followed  him  even  to  death. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  127 

From  this  point  to  the  top  the  ground  was  steep  and  rug- 
ged, a  greater  part  of  the  timber  with  which  the  side  of  the  Ridge 
had  been  covered,  had  been  cut  down,  and  the  logs,  many  of 
them  at  least,  still  lay  where  they  fell.  While  the  wreck  hinder- 
ed us,  it  also  afforded  considerable  shelter  from  the  terrific  storm 
of  canister  which  the  enemy  was  hurling  at  us.  After  beginning 
the  ascent  of  the  Ridge,  the  various  lines  became  completely  in- 
termingled, forming  a  broad  irregular  line  of  considerable  width. 
The  various  regimental  flags  of  the  brigade  were  carried  well  to 
the  front,  and  slowly  moving  forward  were  always  the  rallying 
point  for  the  troops  as  they  charged  up  to  the  summit  of  the 
Ridge.  The  colors  being  carried  well  in  advance,  the  bearers 
and  color  guards  were  fearfully  exposed  to  the  enemy's  sharp- 
shooters. Thus  it  was  we  lost  so  heavily  near  the  colors. 

Our  flag  was  a  new  and  beautiful  one,  recently  presented  to 
us  by  the  patriotic  ladies  of  Rockford,  and  here  carried  for  the 
first  time — the  brightest  and  most  conspicuous  object  among  all 
the  Federal  troops.  It  was  carried  by  Sergeant  Charles  Allen, 
of  Co.  E,  who  was  severely  wounded  ere  he  gained  many  rods 
from  the  foot  of  the  Ridge.  It  was  next  taken  by  Alba  Miller,  of 
Co.  C,  the  regimental  bugler,  who  was  shortly  after  shot  through 
the  shoulder,  and  resigned  it  into  the  hands  of  that  noble  soldier, 
Samuel  Campton,  of  Co.  D.  By  him  it  was  carried  forward  to 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  crest,  when  he  fell,  shot  through  the 
body,  dying  almost  instantly. 

Here  the  flag  was  instantly  grasped  by  Corporal  F.  Hen- 
sey,  of  Co.  I,  and  in  a. moment  placed  upon  the  Confederate 
works  on  the  crest  of  the  Ridge.  So  far  as  personal  knowledge 
goes,  we  cannot  say  positively  that  it  was  the  first  one  there, 
but  can  say  positively  that  when  comrade  Campton  fell  the  flag 
of  the  Seventy-fourth  was  conspicuously  in  advance  of  any  colors 
in  our  immediate  vicinity.  Just  to  our  left  the  colors  of  the 
Twenty-fourth  Wisconsin  was  coming  well  up,  while  on  our 
right  were  two  flags  but  little  below,  which  we  afterward  learned 
belonged  to  the  Forty-fourth  and  Eighty-eighth  Illinois. 

Having  been  wounded  myself  before  reaching  the  crest  of  the 
Ridge,  I  let  Sergeant  Black  describe  what  he  saw  there.  He 
says,  about  this  time,  turning  my  attention  to  what  was  going  on 
in  front,  I  discovered  a  group  of  Federal  soldiers  near  the  earth- 
works just  to  my  left,  and  but  a  few  steps  south  of  the  battery 


128  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

» 

near  Gen.  Bragg's  headquarters.  Among  them  were  some  of 
the  members  of  our  regiment.  I  attempted  to  reach  them,  but 
before  I  got  to  them  an  officer  and  several  of  the  men  sprang  up- 
on and  over  the  works,  thus  opening  the  way  for  those  to  their 
right  and  left,  who  at  once  began  to  pass  through  the  gap  made 
in  the  Confederate  line.  At  this  instant  the  enemy  became  panic 
stricken  and  abandoned  the  lines  as  fast  as  they  could  get  away, 
followed  instantly  by  the  Federals. 

In  the  officer  who  so  gallantly  led  the  men  at  the  spot  of 
which  I  speak,  I  recognized  Capt.  Leffingwell,  of  Co.  A.  It  is 
claimed  by  several  regiments  of  Wood's  division  that  they  placed 
the  first  flag  upon  Mission  Ridge,  they  being  to  our  left  and  still 
fighting  after  we  captured  the  battery  at  Bragg's  headquarters, 
and  we  were  called  to  fall  in  line  for  the  purpose  of  swinging 
northward  upon  the  Ridge,  thus  flanking  those  who  still  remain- 
ed in  line  fighting  the  Federals  ascending  the  Ridge. 

However,  before  we  could  reform  our  line,  that  part  of  the 
enemy's  line  gave  away.  We  could  see  them  as  they  left  the 
ditch,  and  our  men  came  pouring  over  after  them.  Calls  were 
sounded,  and  the  men  began  to  form  on  their  respective  colors. 
About  this  time  Gen.  Sheridan  came  riding  up  from  the  left,  ac- 
companied by  several  members  of  his  staff.  Reaching  us  he 
halted  and  enquired,  "to  what  regiment  does  that  new  flag  be- 
long?" The  answer  came,  "Seventy-fourth  Illinois,"  when  he 
replied,  "that  was  the  first  flag  on  the  ridge."  Turning  to  a 
staff  officer,  with  whom  he  had  been  in  animated  conversation  as 
they  came  up,  he  said,  with  a  toss  of  the  head  to  the  left,  "those 
fellows  over  there  may  say  what  they  damn  please,  this  was  the 
first  flag  up. "  There  were  perhaps  thirty  or  forty  members  of 
the  Seventy-fourth  present  when  the  foregoing  occurred,  and 
doubtless  there  are  others  who  remember  it  as  well  as  myself. 

After  pursuing  a  short  distance  beyond  the  Ridge  we  went 
into  camp  for  the  night.  It  was  related  to  me  by  some  of  our 
boys  that  were  there,  and  talked  with  the  women  that  lived  in 
the  house  in  which  Bragg  had  his  headquarters,  that  Bragg  was 
at  the  house  in  front  of  our  brigade,  and  they  told  him  we  were 
coming,  he  said,  "Let  them  come,  they  can  never  reach  the 
top."  But  after  we  got  half  way  up  he  became  alarmed,  and 
paced  the  house  to  and  fro  with  clasped  hands.  He  then  sud- 
denly mounted  his  horse  and  rode  away.  I  saw  the  colonel  com- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  129 

manding  the  brigade  in  our  front,  as  the  boys  were  leading  him 
back  as  a  prisoner. 

Col.  Marsh,  of  our  regiment,  was  wounded  twice,  and  his 
horse  shot  from  under  him.  Sixty-four  pieces  of  cannon  with 
their  caissons,  and  an  immense  amount  of  small  arms  and  many 
prisoners  were  captured.  It  was  indeed  a  glorious  victory,  and 
gave  fresh  courage  and  hope  for  the  Union  cause.  H.  V.  Boyn- 
ton  in  the  United  Service  Magazine,  says:  "Of  the  few  noted 
spectacular  battles  of  the  war,  the  three  days'  fight  at  Chatta- 
nooga was  unquestionably  its  most  remarkable  military  pageant." 

It  is  doubtful  whether  modern  military  history  portrays  a 
scene  where  the  grand  proportions,  as  well  as  the  minor  move- 
ments of  extended  battle,  were  so  clearly  presented  to  view. 
Malvern  Hill,  Antietam,  Burnside's  attack  on  Fredricksburg, 
and  the  third  day  at  Gettysburg,  were  each  fields  where  the  eye 
at  times  took  in  a  large  portion  of  the  forces  engaged,  their  prin- 
cipal movements  and  their  fierce  contests. 

But  at  Chattanooga  a  three  days'  battle  was  enacted  by 
three  Union  armies  in  a  vast  amphitheatre,  and  upon  the  slopes 
of  the  mountains  and  hills  which  surrounded  it,  where  every 
movement  on  plain  and  upland  was  clearly  defined  to  the  eyes 
of  the  overlooking  thousands  of  contending  hosts. 

The  colonel  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Mississippi  says  this  of  the 
charge  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  against  Mission  Ridge — 
after  describing  how  his  brigade  was  driven  by  the  Federal 
troops  from  the  northern  slope  of  Lookout,  they  were  sent  to 
their  extreme  right,  or  northern  end  of  Mission  Ridge,  where 
Sherman  was  advancing.  After  a  vivid  description  of  Sherman's 
attack  and  repulse,  he  says:  "In  the  meanwhile  the  sun  came  out 
clear  and  cloudless,  I  saw  the  main  body  of  the  Federal  army 
moving  out  from  Chattanooga  in  columns  by  divisions.  I  am 
not  sure,  but  there  must  have  been  60,000  men.  None  of  the  of- 
ficers were  mounted;  they  moved  in  perfect  order  at  double 
quick  time  on  our  left,  or  left  center,  and  few  men  now  living 
have  ever  witnessed  such  a  panorama.  Our  batteries  were  not 
massed  as  in  the  morning,  but  each  fired  from  its  station  in  the 
brigade  or  division  to  which  it  was  attached,  and,  as  far  as  I 
could  judge,  made  little  or  no  impression  on  the  advancing  en- 
emy. 

Our  brigade  was  moved  at  double  quick  from  right  to  left, 


130  FOURTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

and  stationed  in  a  deep  indenture  in  Mission  Ridge,  where  a 
public  road  crossed  it.  We  were  here  subjected  to  a  heavy  fire 
from  sharpshooters  with  long  range  rifles.  Almost  every  man's 
head  that  was  raised  above  the  breastworks  was  hit.  Strangely 
and  curiously  enough  our  first  line  of  battle  was  formed  behind 
a  little  insignificant  breastwork  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The 
magnificent  columns  of  Federals  swept  over  it  like  frost  work. 

Under  a  galling  and  destructive  fire  the  Federal  army 
climbed  up  the  steep  side  of  the  mountain.  1  thought  they  could 
never  reach  the  summit,  but  a  short  time  before  night  set  in  I 
had  the  bitter  mortification  of  seeing  our  line,  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  or  two  hundred  yards  to  the  left  of  our  brigade,  give 
way  and  run  in  confusion.  I  heard  the  triumphant  shout  of  the 
Federals  as  they  placed  their  colors  on  the  Ridge. 

The  next  morning  after  the  battle  we  marched  six  miles  and 
were  relieved  by  the  Eleventh  A.  C.  and  moved  back  to  our  old 
camp  at  Chattanooga.  Remained  until  3:00  p.  m.  of  the  28th, 
when  we  received  marching  orders,  and  that  night  camped  eight 
miles  up  the  river.  The  29th  we  marched  fourteen  miles 
and  went  into  camp  at  Harrison's  Cross  Roads.  The 
30th  started  at  5:00  a.  m.,  and  that  day  passed  through 
Georgetown  and  through  to  the  landing  on  the  Hiawasa  river; 
there  crossed  the  river  in  small  boats  and  went  into  camp.  De- 
cember 1st  marched  to  Decatur,  thirteen  miles;  the  2nd,  moved 
sixteen  miles,  and  camped  in  the  valley.  December  3rd;  march- 
ed ten  miles  to  Philadelphia;  took  dinner  and  moved  seven  miles 
to  Robin's  Mills.  The  6th,  marched  to  Marville,  twelve  miles. 
The  7th,  moved  four  miles  to  Rockford,  and  crossed  the  river; 
then  pushed  on  to  Knoxville,  and  remained  there  that  night. 
The  8th,  moved  our  camp  to  the  timber,  and  remained  there 
until  the  morning  of  the  12th;  that  day  marched  eighteen  miles. 
The  13th,  moved  to  Keen's  Mills,  four  miles.  The  next  two 
days,  sent  out  foraging  parties  for  wheat  and  corn  to  grind  at  the 
mills.  December  16th  we  loaded  a  boat  with  flour  and  meal  for 
Knoxville.  Left  the  mills  at  one  p.  m.,  and  marched  towards 
Knoxville.  The  17th,  marched  at  daybreak  for  Knoxville,  where 
we  joined  our  brigade,  the  Twenty-fourth.  Then  remained  on 
duty  at  Knoxville,  while  the  rest  of  the  brigade  were  sent  to 
Strawberry  Plain,  some  distance  above  Knoxville. 

Then    the  regiments  of  the    brigade  that  enlisted  in  1861 


SEVENTY-FOURTH  ILL.   REGIMENT.  131 

veteraned,  and  went  home  on  veteran's  furlough.  December 
.  29th  a  detail  was  made  from  companies  C,  D  and  F,  to  guard 
prisoners  to  Louden.  On  the  8th  day  of  January,  1864,  the  regi- 
ment was  called  upon  to  witness  the  execution  of  a  Confederate 
spy,  which  took  place  at  11:30  a.  m. 

About  this  time  the  various  detachments  of  the  division  that 
had  been  left  at  Chattanooga  rejoined  their  own  commands,  then 
stationed  in  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville.  We  brought  along 
with  us  the  surplus  baggage  that  had  been  left  at  Chattanooga 
when  the  division  left  for  Knoxville. 

Gen.  Wheeler  of  the  Confederate  cavalry,  hearing  that  a 
large  wagon  train  was  on  the  way  from  Chattanooga  to  Knox- 
ville, guarded  by  the  convalescents  that  had  been  left  at  Chatta- 
nooga, thought  it  a  good  opportunity  to  gobble  it  while  cross- 
ing the  Hiawasa  at  Charleston. 

He  made  the  attempt,  dismounting  his  men  about  two  miles 
up  the  valley  east  of  Charleston.  He  moved  down,  expecting 
an  easy  victory;  but  Col.  Leibold,  of  the  Second  Missouri,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  detachment,  hastily  formed  them  into  line, 
who,  together  with  the  Fifty-first  Indiana,  Col.  Straight's  regi- 
ment of  five  or  six  hundred  men,  made  a  formidable  army,  and 
charged  rapidly  against  Wheeler's  advancing  columns,  who 
seemed  to  be  taken  totally  by  surprise,  broke  and  run,  fleeing  up 
the  valley  to  where  their  horses  were  left. 

At  this  instant  a  small  detachment  of  Federal  cavalry  that 
was  stationed  at  Charleston  to  guard  the  crossing,  rushed  in 
among  the  fleeing  foe,  killing  and  wounding  a  number,  and  cap- 
turing about  one  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners.  My  opinion  of 
the  cavalry  took  a  very  favorable  turn  after  that  event. 

On  the  10th  of  January,  1864,  a  large  detachment  of  our 
regiment,  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Beatson,  of  Co.  D,  was 
again  sent  to  Louden  with  prisoners  who  had  been  captured  a 
few  days  before  near  Strawberry  Plains.  Among  the  number  was 
Gen.  Vance,  of  North  Carolina.  At  the  stations  along  the  way 
they  were  supplied  with  food  and  hot  coffee  by  the  citizens,  which 
they  seemed  to  appreciate. 

On  our  return  the  train  was  loaded  with  commissary  stores 
for  the  troops  at  Strawberry  Plains.  By  a  wonderful  coincidence, 
in  passing  our  camp  at  Fort  Saunders  in  the  evening,  several 
pounds  of  sugar  and  flour  accidentally  rolled  off  the  cars.  As  it 


132  FOURTH  REUNION  OF  THE 

was  quite  a  distance  from  the  depot,  we  thought  it  too  much  work 
to  take  them  there,  so  we  took  Care  of  them  ourselves,  and  it  was 
noticeable  that  we  all  had  full  rations  after  that. 

Our  camp  at  Knoxville  was  in  Fort  Saunders,  where  Gen. 
Longstreet  made  such  a  furious  assault  a  few  weeks  before;  the 
marks  of  the  awful  contest  were  still  plainly  visible.  Their  dead 
were  hastily  buried  in  their  shallow  rifle  pits,  and  many  of  their 
feet  and  hands  were  protruding  above  the  ground. 

The  regiment  remained  in  Knoxville  working  on  the  fortifi- 
cations and  doing  garrison  duty  until  the  29th  of  January,  1864, 
when  we  moved  to  Louden  on  January  30th.  February  2nd  we 
had  company  and  regimental  drill,  the  first  we  had  since  leaving 
Winchester  the  August  previous. 

About  the  4th,  the  rest  of  the  brigade  came  back  from  Kings- 
ton and  went  into  camp  at  Louden.  We  expected  to  join  them, 
but  Gen.  Sheridan  sent  an  order  for  us  to  go  to  Johnson's  Mill 
for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  Union  citizens  from  bushwhack- 
ers,- and  guerrillas  were  said  to  be  numerous  in  that  part  of  the 
country.  The  mill  was  thirteen  miles  south  of  Louden.  On 
the  way  down  we  drove  in  several  beef  cattle  for  our  own  use. 
Foraging  parties  went  out  nearly  every  day  for  something  to  eat. 
The  first  day  they  went  out  they  brought  back  with  them  the  fol- 
lowing array  of  eatables:  chickens,  turkeys,  hams,  onions,  beans, 
potatoes,  dried  apples,  sorghum  syrup,  (over  a  barrel)  tobacco, 
candles,  soap  and  things  too  numerous  to  mention.  The  syrup 
was  brought  in  and  issued  with  the  other  rations  to  the  regiment. 
Company  H  was  detailed  to  guard  and  run  the  mill. 

Here  we  got  the  first  full  rations  issued  since  leaving  Stev- 
enson, Alabama,  last  summer.  We  camped  in  a  grove  of  small 
pines,  and,  as  usual,  built  ourselves  log  houses.  We  also  cramp- 
ed on  three  or  four  thousand  feet  of  lumber,  and  made  bunks, 
tables,  and  all  the  other  etceteras  of  civilized  life,  not  forgetting 
floors. 

'  My  correspondence  says:  "At  this  time  we  were  having  the 
finest  kind  of  a  time,  and  some  of  the  boys  have  been  out  and 
report  good-looking  Union  girls  plenty — weather  fine." 

We  remained  here  about  two  weeks,  and  one  morning  early 
the  officer  looking  mysterious,  as  if  some  danger  threatened, 
broke  camp  and  marched  hurriedly  back  to  Louden.  We  after- 
ward learned  that  we  were  in  danger  of  being  attacked  by  some 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  133 

Confederate  cavalry  that  were  raiding  Blount  county,  just  across 
the  Little  Tennessee  river. 

From  our  camp  they  succeeded  in  capturing  four  of  our 
regiment  that  were  detailed  to  guard  wheat  at  Niles  Ferry.  The 
men  captured  were  one  each  from  companies  F,  H,  I  and  K. 
Harvey  Kellogg,  of  Co.  C  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  and 
made  his  escape.  It  was  reported  the  men  captured  held  out 
two  hours,  being  in  a  house,  and  wounded  several  of  the  attack- 
*ng  party. 

We  remained  in  Louden  until  February  23rd,  when  we  were 
sent  out  to  guard  a  ford  on  the  Little  Tennessee  river,  known  as 
Davis  Ford,  and  noted  as  being  the  place  where  Longstreet 
crossed  on  his  march  to  Knoxville.  He  made  a  bridge  at  the 
ford  by  gathering  all  the  farm  wagons  in  the  vicinity,  stringing 
them  across,  and  putting  planks  on  them  for  his  troops  to  cross 
on.  The  ford  was  seven  miles  from  Louden  and  five  from  Mor- 
gantown. 

A  few  of  the  boys  got  passes  every  day,  crossed  the  river 
and  went  out  into  what  was  called  the  Knobs,  passing  through 
the  little  village  of  Eunica,  in  search  of  something  to  eat.  We 
used  to  get  our  dinner  at  the  farm  houses,  and  some  eggs,  for 
which  we  always  paid,  dinner  thirty  and  eggs  twenty-five  cents 
a  dozen.  The  people  were  extremely  poor,  having  been  foraged 
over  by  both  armies.  Their  houses,  like  themselves,  were  poor. 
It  was  nothing  uncommon  to  see  houses  with  cracks  in  them  wide 
enough  to  throw  a  good  sized  cat  through.  The  citizens  would 
bring  in  pies  and  cakes  to  sell.  A  woman  came  in  with  some 
cakes  one  day  and  was  selling  them  two  for  a  quarter  or  one  for 
a  dime— the  boys  generally  bought  one  at  a  time.  A  short  dis- 
tance from  camp  lived  a  young  lady  that  had  been  wooed,  won 
and  married  by  one  of  Longstreet' s  men  in  the  two  days  they 
were  here  crossing  the  river;  he  probably  belonged  to  the  cav- 
alry. 

Captain  Barker  of  Co.  F,  took  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men  one  night  a  mile  or  two  from  camp,  surrounded  and  cap- 
tured a  Union  bushwhacker  by  the  name  of  Duncan,  brought 
him  to  camp,  kept  him  a  few  days,  then  let  him  go.  At  this 
time,  March  30th,  we  got  word  that  Sheridan  had  been  taken 
from  us  and  transferred  to  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  whose  loss 
we  very  much  regretted,  as  he  had  the  fullest  confidence  of  the 


134  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

division.  Gen.  Wagner,  of  the  Third  brigade,  took  command 
of  the  division. 

On  the  29th,  companies  B  and  K  were  ordered  out  on  a 
three  days'  scout  to  try  and  capture  some  guerrillas  that  had  been 
hovering  in  that  vicinity,  but  after  going  as  far  as  Eunica  they 
were  ordered  back.  On  the  morning  of  the  31st  we  packed  up 
and  prepared  to  march  to  Louden,  which  we  reached  about  noon, 
and  went  into  camp  on  the  railroad  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west 
of  town.  There  was  not  a  stick  of  wood  anywhere  near,  but  we 
went  to  work  as  usual  and  soon  had  good  houses  up.  We  drew 
plenty  of  rations,  with  plenty  of  good  soft  bread  from  the  post 
bakery. 

While  camped  here  the  ten  new  Indiana  regiments  passed 
through  on  their  way  to  join  the  Twenty-third  A.  C.,  to  which 
they  were  assigned.  They  were  the  shabbiest  looking  troops  I 
ever  saw,  old  and  tottering  gray-headed  men  and  small  spindling 
boys;  did  some  good  fighting  in  Hovey's  division,  Twenty-third 
corps,  at  Resaca.  While  here  the  Third  brigade,  Twenty-fourth 
Wisconsin  and  ourselves  had  a  grand  review.  We  were  review- 
ed by  Gen.  Howard,  the  new  corps  commander.  He  was  from 
the  eastern  army,  and  formerly  commanded  the  Eleventh  corps. 

I  forgot  to  say  that  when  the  new  Indianians  were  passing 
through  here  with  knapsacks  almost  ready  to  burst,  something 
like  ours  were  when  we  left  Louisville,  we  took  compassion  on 
them,  just  like  the  Twenty-second  Indianians  did  on  us,  and  re- 
lieved them  of  a  share  of  their  burden. 

About  the  middle  of  April  we  moved  to  Columbus,  Tennes- 
see, which  was  the  preliminary  move  in  the  construction  of 
troops  for  the  great  campaign  of  1864.  Here  we  remained  about 
two  weeks,  guarding  fords  and  other  necessary  duty.  On  Sun- 
day, the  first  day  of  May,  at  11:00  a.  m.,  we  started  to  join  our 
command ;  marched  four  miles  further,  and  camped  for  the  night. 
Marched  four  miles  and  crossed  the  Hiawasa  at  Boyd's  ferry,  at 
the  junction  of  Oconee  river;  went  five  miles  farther  and  camped 
for  the  night.  The  Second  moved  twelve  miles  to  Cleveland  and 
rejoined  the  brigade.  May  3rd,  moved  at  noon  and  marched 
into  Georgia,  and  joined  the  main  army  at  Catusa  Springs,  and 
next  morning  started  on  the  great  Atlanta  campaign,  where  I 
leave  you. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  135 

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  JAMES  B.   KERR. 

A  MEMORIAL  ON  THE  LIFE,  SERVICE  AND  DEATH  OF  LIEUTENANT- 
COLONEL  JAMES  B.  KERR. 

BY    H.    V.    FREEMAN. 

Comrades  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Regiment:  As  chairman  of  the 
committee  appointed  at  the  last  reunion  to  present  a  memorial  of 
our  late  Lieut-Colonel  James  B.  Kerr,  who  died  a  prisoner  in 
Atlanta,  of  wounds  received  at  Kenesaw  Mountain,  I  cannot  do 
better  than  to  quote  liberally  from  communications  received  from 
his  relatives  and  several  of  our  members.  There  are  doubtless 
other  facts  and  interesting  reminiscences  which  many  of  you  can 
supply. 

The  communication  kindly  sent  to  me  by  his  brother,  Prof. 
Alexander  Kerr,  of  Madison  University,  gives  so  full  and  com- 
plete a  history  of  the  early  life  of  Lieut.-Col.  Kerr,  down  to  the 
organization  of  the  Seventy-fourth,  that  you  will  be  glad  to  have 
me  present  it  entire,  very  nearly  in  the  language  of  the  author. 
Prof.  Kerr  writes  as  follows: 

"James  Bremer  Kerr,  the  fifth  and  youngest  son  of  George 
and  Helen  Kerr,  was  born  in  Aberdeenshire,  Scotland,  June  30th, 
1834.  The  following  year  his  parents  emigrated  to  Canada  and 
lived  for  three  years  at  Moulinette,  near  Cornwall.  They  then 
removed  to  Lockport,  Illinois,  and  in  1841,  when  James  was 
seven  years  old,  they  made  a  permanent  home  for  the  family  on 
a  farm  near  Rockford,  Illinois,  where  his  boyhood  and  youth 
were  passed.  The  location  was  in  many  respects  fortunate;  the 
soil  was  reasonably  productive;  the  moderate  undulations  of  sur- 
face provided  natural  drainage,  so  that  the  settlers  were  not 
shaken  with  ague  or  scorched  with  fever.  Inheriting  a  good 
constitution,  James  grew  up  with  a  robust  frame  and  vigorous 
health. 

There  were  no  celebrities  in  the  neighborhood,  but  there 
were  a  few  quiet  people  who  brought  with  them  traditions  favor- 
able to  intelligence  and  education.  The  result  was  a  quality  of 
instruction  in  the  schools  which  stimulated  the  bright  boys,  and 
gave  them  aspirations  and  ambitions.  James  was  one  of  those 
boys,  and  while  he  was  conscientious  in  the  performance  of  the 
duties  he  owed  his  parents,  he  soon  lost  interest  in  the  routine 
work  of  the  farm  and  became  a  student  of  books.  He  engaged 


136  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

early  in  debates  and  other  literary  exercises,  which  were  partici- 
pated in  not  only  by  the  boys  of  the  neighborhood  but  by  intel- 
ligent men  of  more  mature  minds,  who  often  came  long  distances 
over  the  prairies  to  make  the  schoolhouse  resound  with  eloquence, 
which,  if  it  had  not  the  strength  and  polish  of  Webster,  had  at 
least  the  freshness  and  fire  of  nature. 

He  early  formed  the  habit  of  considering  political,  social, 
ethical  and  religious  questions  as  his  own  mind  and  conscience 
directed,  rather  than  in  obedience  to  tests  established  by  authors 
and  traditions.  Thus  he  furnished  another  proof  of  the  state- 
ment that  it  is  absurd  in  this  century  to  expect  a  boy  to  believe 
exactly  what  his  grandfather  believed  before  him.  But  the  free- 
dom of  opinion  which  he  claimed  as  a  God-given  right  never  be- 
trayed him  into  showing  a  want  of  reverence  for  sacred  things, 
or  into  making  extravagant  and  foolish  assertions  about  the  mys- 
teries of  human  destiny.  Although  a  diligent  student,  James 
was  not  a  recluse.  He  had  the  happy  faculty  of  rapid  acquisi- 
tion. He  quickly  made  himself  master  of  the  contents  of  a  book, 
and  was  ready  for  a  gallop  over  the  prairie  to  see  friends,  of 
whom  he  had  a  constantly  enlarging  circle.  Naturally  of  a 
jovial  disposition,  and  possessed  of  an  unselfish  nature,  he  was 
a  favorite  in  all  social  gatherings  with  young  and  old  alike.  Thus 
in  youth  he  developed  a  manly  and  resolute  character,  and  gain- 
ed a  knowledge  of  human  nature  as  well  as  of  literature.  These, 
supplemented  by  superb  physical  endurance,  contributed  to  the 
success  of  a  life,  which,  short  as  it  was,  cannot  be  called  incom- 
plete. His  years  till  early  manhood  passed  swiftly  and  happily, 
his  only  deep  sorrow  being  the  loss  of  his  brother  Charles,  who, 
while  a  member  of  the  freshman  class  of  Beloit  college,  died  sud- 
denly of  brain  fever,  March,  1853. 

In  January,  1857,  James  went  to  Houston,  Heard  county, 
Georgia,  where  his  brother,  Alexander  Kerr,  now  professor  in 
the  University  of  Wisconsin,  had  charge  of  a  classical  school. 
This  was  by  far  the  best  and  most  satisfactory  year  of  his  student 
life.  He  made  a  wise  use  of  his  opportunities,  not  neglectting 
Greek,  Latin  or  mathematics,  but  learning  meanwhile  among  the 
pine  woods,  the  hills  and  valleys,  all  about  the  social  life  of  in- 
teresting types  nearly  as,  primitive  as  the  Homeric  man.  And 
on  'court  days'  and  other  public  occasions  when  a  crowd  gather- 
ed at  the  'Corners,'  he  was  an  interested  and  eager  spectator  of 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  137 

the  methods  by  which  neighborhood  feuds  and  unforeseen  quar- 
rels would  work  themselves  out  when  the  blood  of  the  young 
Georgians  was  on  fire  with  home-made  whiskey  or  peach  brandy. 
At  such  times  he  occasionally  heard  the  crack  of  a  pistol,  or  saw 
the  gleam  of  a  bowie-knife,  and  he,  with  others,  would  rush  to 
look  at  a  poor  fellow  lying  in  a  pool  of  blood. 

From  such  scenes,  by  the  evidence  of  his  own  eyes,  he  very 
naturally  came  to  the  conclusion  that  about  the  cheapest  com- 
modity in  that  region  was  human  life.  In  fa-ct,  he  himself  once 
or  twice  narrowly  escaped  assassination  from  incautiously  engag- 
ing too  freely  in  conversation  with  men, who  were  crazed  with 
drink  or  passion.  Yet  the  young  northerner  found  no  lack  of 
good  society.  He  soon  had  the  freedom  of  the  best  houses  in  a 
well-to-do  community.  The  hospitality  of  the  intelligent 
Georgian  planter  had  to  be  enjoyed  to  be  understood.  Any  mere 
description  is  inadequate  to  do  it  justice.  It  was  unselfish,  spon- 
taneous, bestowed  like  the  sunlight  and  rain,  without  thought  or 
expectation  of  favors  to  be  reciprocated. 

The  young  men,  with  the  impulsiveness  and  frankness  char- 
acteristic to  the  section,  at  once  gave  him  their  confidence  and 
hearty  good  will,  and  showed  him  the  best  traits  of  Southern 
character.  The  oracle  and  pride  of  the  neighborhood  was  at 
that  time  'Ben  Hill,'  afterwards  a  member  of  the  rebel  cabinet, 
and  more  recently  United  States  Senator  for  Georgia.  Hill's 
residence  was  LaGrange,  where  he  sometimes  made  a  political 
speech,  and  always  swept  everything  before  him  by  the  power  of 
his  eloquence.  The  boys  of  James'  set  all  swore  by  Ben.  Hill, 
and  since  LaGrange  was  within  easy  reach,  they  made  a  point 
of  hearing  him  on  all  important  occasions,  and  believed  him  to 
be  the  greatest  man  in  Georgia. 

The  boys  were  proud  of  Ben.  Hill  and  of  all  that  pertained 
to  him;  proud  of  his  religion;  proud  of  his  kneeling  to  receive 
the  sacrament  at  the  altar  of  the  Methodist  church;  proud  of  his 
manly  character;  proud  of  his  neat  and  prompt  way  of  knocking 
down  on  the  spot  a  lawyer  who  insulted  him  in  the  court  room; 
and  of  the  lordly  fashion  in  which  he  instantly  handed  over  the 
fine  of  one  hundred  dollars  which  the  judge  imposed  for  disturb- 
ing the  court;  proud  of  his  stately  mansion  and  his  retinue  of 
slaves;  but  proudest  of  all  of  his  reputation,  which  they  believed 
would  soon  be  national. 


138  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

These  generous  and  impulsive  young  fellows  did  everything 
in  their  powerto  make  the  student'syear  in  Georgia  enjoyable  while 
it  lasted,  and  delightful  to  remember.  And  when  the  time  at  last 
cameforhimto  joinhiscomrades  in  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois,  the 
thought  was  always  a  painfnl  one  that  some  day  he  might  be 
compelled  to  meet  in  deadly  encounter  friends  whom  he  had 
learned  to  love  as  brothers,  with  whom  he  had  spent  many  a 
happy  hour  in  hunting  excursions  up  and  down  the  Chattahoo- 
chee  and  its  tributaries,  not  knowing  that  seven  years  later,  only 
a  few  miles  distant  from  the  red  hills  of  his  old  hunting  grounds, 
he  should  give  up  his  life  and  all  that  he  held  dear  in  this  world, 
at  the  bidding  of  his  country. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1858,  James  entered  Beloit  col- 
lege, and  pursued  for  several  terms  a  special  course  preparatory 
to  the  work  of  teaching  and  the  profession  of  law.  Literature 
and  politics  had  the  greatest  attraction  for  him  at  this  period. 
His  college  duties  were  faithfully  performed;  but  the  files  of  the 
Congressional  Globe  were  scanned  with  constant  care  that  he  might 
understand  the  slavery  discussion,  perhaps  the  greatest  contro- 
versy of  modern  times. 

He  afterwards  made  an  excellent  record  as  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  Winnebago  county ;  earned  the  reputation  of 
being  a  ready  and  effective  extempore  speaker,  and  was  always 
welcomed  on  the  platform  as  a  lecturer  on  literary  and  educa- 
tional topics.  In  the  presidential  campaign  of  1860,  he  took  the 
stump  for  Lincoln.  The  next  two  years  were  filled  out  with  un- 
remitting work  as  law  student,  teacher,  lecturer,  institute  con- 
ductor, and  county  superintendent  of  schools.  These  activities 
served  to  occupy  his  mind  until  the  civil  war  assumed  such  pro- 
portions and  magnitude  that  entering  the  service  appeared  to 
him  a  duty  imperative  and  irresistible.  *  * 

In  September,  1862,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  M. 
Bradley,  daughter  of  Dr.  L.  B.  Bradley,  of  Roscoe,  111.  He 
had  no  children." 

The  above  narrative  brings  us  down  to  the  time  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  regiment,  in  August,  1862.  It  was  an  ever 
memorable  year.  The  call  for  300,000  more,  issued  by  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  rang  like  a  bugle  over  the  North.  It  was  respond- 
ed to  eagerly.  Everywhere  regiments  were  forming;  and  this 
period  which  we  now  commemorate  by  our  reunions  is  celebrated 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  139 

in  like  manner  by  hundreds  of  other  regiments  and  organizations 
throughout  every  state  of  the  loyal  North.       The  popular  song, 
"We  are    coming,    father    Abraham,    three  hundred    thousand 
more,"  gave  expression  to  that  enthusiastic  feeling  with   which 
men  everywhere  responded  to  that  call.      Never  can  we  forget, 
while  life  shall  last,  the  patriotic  sentiment,  the  hopes,  the  fears, 
the  excitements  of  that  glorious  time.      It  still  stirs  the  blood  of 
the  soldier  to  recall  the  martial  ardor  of  those  younger  days.    In 
every  city  and  hamlet  the  sound  of  drum  and  fife  could  be  heard, 
inviting  men  to  enlist  for  the  preservation   of  the  Union.       On 
village  greens  and  in  public  halls  the  drilling  of  recruits  was  in 
progress.     The  quick  voice  of  command  and  sound  of  tramping 
feet  awoke  the  silent  streets  far  into  the  night.      Everywhere  was 
the  gathering  of  men  into  companies,  the  going  into  camp,  the 
organization  of  battalions,  regiments,  all  drills,  and  much  of  the 
pomp  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war  without  its  hardships. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr  was  at  this  time  county  superintendent 
of  schools  for  Winnebago  county,  and  he  had  been  teaching  in 
the  public  schools  at  Roscoe.      In  the  summer  of  1862  he  assist- 
ed in  raising  a  company  of  three  months'  men,  who  were  employ- 
ed in   guarding  the  prisoners  in  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago.     He 
became  first  lieutenant  of  this  company.     The  regiment,  as  I  am 
informed,  was  the  Sixty-seventh  Illinois.       In  this  capacity  it 
served  three  months  during  the  summer  of  1862,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  just  previous  to  the  organization  of  the  Seventy-fourth. 
Having  thus   had  some  military  experience  he  became  the  cap- 
tain of  Co.  E,  in  the  Seventy-fourth,  a^d  upon  the  organization 
of  the  regiment  was  elected   and  commissioned   its  lieutenant- 
colonel.      In  the  earlier  part  of  the  regimental  history  Col.  Kerr 
was  second  in  command,  except  at  those  times  when  Col.  Marsh, 
by  reason  of  ill  health,  was  temporarily  absent.       But  the  drill- 
ing  of  the  regiment  devolved  almost  entirely  upon  Lieut. -Col. 
Kerr.     He  seemed  to  have  a  faculty  in  this  direction,  and  readily 
acquired   the  necessary  knowledge.       To    him   the   regiment  is 
largely  indebted  for  the  efficiency  it   subsequently  acquired  in 
battalion  drill. 

During  the  first  year,  Col.  Kerr's  military  history  is  simply 
that  of  the  regiment.  There  are  no  special  facts  which  stand  out 
prominently  to  be  recorded  with  him  personally.  He  was  then 
in  command  for  short  periods  of  time,  never  long  enough  to  have 


140  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

the  full  responsibility,  which  would  otherwise  have  rested  upon 
him.  But  during  this  time  he  won  the  confidence  of  the  regiment, 
both  in  his  ability  and  his  courage.  Indeed  it  has  sometimes 
been  said  that  Col.  Kerr's  bravery  occasionally  touched  the  bor- 
der of  rashness.  A  letter  from  an  old-time  and  intimate  friend 
speaks  of  him  as  follows: 

He  was  a  bright  scholar,  and  as  the  old  ladies  in  the  dis- 
trict used  to  remark,  'seemed  to  take  to  larnin'  naterally.'  As 
a  student  he  was  not  only  industrious,  but  was  impetuous.  He 
was  as  daring  about  attempting  the  mastery  of  questions  beyond 
his  years  as  he  afterwards  was  on  the  field  of  battle,  in  attempt- 
ing to  acco*mplish  feats  of  bravery  and  courage  which  prudence 
might  not  dictate.  It  was  this  trait  of  his  character  which  led 
to  his  capture  on  one  occasion,  and  possibly  it  had  something  to 
do  with  his  death  on  another." 

You  will  all  remember  the  circumstances  attending  his  cap- 
ture. It  was  near  Nashville,  just  before  the  battle  of  Stone 
River.  Lieutenant  Holland,  in  his  paper  published  in  the  ac- 
count of  our  first  reunion,  gives  details  of  this  event.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Kerr  alone,  leaving  behind  all  his  aides  in  pursuit  of  a 
fleeing  rebel  officer,  dashed  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  and  of 
course  was  taken  prisoner.  He  was  not,  therefore,  with  the 
regiment  at  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  but  rejoined 
it  subsequently  at  Murfreesboro,  after  having  been  exchanged. 
In  attack  or  pursuit,  and  even  in  running  into  danger,  however 
impetuous,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr  never  lost  his  head.  He 
was  always  cool  and  self-possessed,  and  knew  exactly  what  he 
was  doing. 

In  the  march  from  Murfreesboro  southward,  during  what  is 
known  as  the  Tullahoma  campaign,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr 
was  part  of  the  time  in  command  of  the  regiment.  I  well  re- 
member an  incident  which  occurred  at  Libertyville  Gap.  We 
lay  on  the  wooded  slope  of  a  hill  overlooking  a  small  valley,  on 
the  other  side  of  which  the  rebel  line  was  posted  upon  the  cor- 
responding parallel  range  of  hills. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  contrast  between  the  quiet  picture 
of  that  narrow  valley,  only  a  few  hundred  feet  wide,  and  the 
scenes  of  war  surrounding  it.  From  hill  to  hill,  over  the  quiet 
farm  house  and  waving  grain  fields  beneath,  the  storm  of  war 
was  raging.  A  high  Virginia  rail  fence  was  just  in  front  of  our 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  141 

position.  On  the  other  side  of  it,  running  down  the  slope  of  the 
hill,  were  quite  a  number  of  dead  rebels,  who  had  been  killed 
when  they  had  been  driven  from  the  position  which  we  then  oc- 
cupied. One  of  our  men  had  a  disabled  rifle.  As  the  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel was  standing  near,  he  showed  him  the  useless  mus- 
ket and  asked  him  if  he  knew  where  he  could  get  another.  "He 
did  not,"  he  said,  ''unless  you  want  to  go  out  there  and  take 
one  of  those  dead  rebel's  guns."  "Out  there,"  meant  over  the 
rail  fence  beyond  the  edge  of  the  timber  down  on  the  slope  of 
the  hillside,  in  plain  view  and  in  short  range  of  the  rebel  skir- 
mishers on  the  other  side.  The  Lieutenant-Colonel  said  he 
"would  not  order  any  man  out  there,  but  that  he  was  at  liberty 
to  go  if  he  wanted  to."  I  will  add  that  Sergeant  Allen,  of  Co.  E, 
afterward  Lieutenant  Allen,  whose  daring  bravery  caused  him 
subsequently  to  be  shot  almost  to  pieces,  did  venture  out  and 
take  a  gun  from  beside  one  of  those  dead  rebels.  As  he  did  so, 
however,  although  he  ran  out  and  back  very  rapidly,  a  shower 
of  bullets  rained  about  him,  and  it  was  a  marvel  to  every  one  who 
saw  the  performance  that  he  got  in  alive. 

We  will  all  now  agree,  I  think,  from  abundant  experience, 
that  it  is  the  business  of  a  soldier  never  to  expose  himself  in  a 
spirit  of  bravado,  while  always  ready  to  expose  himself  under 
any  and  all  circumstances,  where  by  so  doing  any  useful  object 
can  be  attained. 

One  other  incident  occurring  at  this  place,  you  wiM  perhaps 
be  glad  to  recall  in  this  connection.  Some  of  you  may  remem- 
ber that  when  we  occupied  the  position  to  which  I  refer,  and 
which  we  held  all  the  afternoon,  we  found  upon  the  line  behind 
a  tree  a  dead  soldier,  belonging,  I  think,  to  an  Ohio  regiment. 
He  was  a  young,  fine  looking  fellow.  His  uniform  and  all  his 
equipments  were  scrupulously  neat  and  clean.  His  gun,  though 
soiled  with  the  smoke  of  firing,  was  bright  and  shining,  thor- 
oughly well  kept.  Everything  about  him  denoted  the  thorough 
going  soldier;  nothing  slovenly;  nothing  untidy  or  unkempt. 
He  lay  there  dead,  with  a  bullet  through  his  breast.  His  hand- 
some young  face  was  turned  up  to  the  sky;  but  all  about  him 
the  ground  was  thickly  strewn  with  the  ends  of  cartridges,  used 
before  the  fatal  bullet  found  him.  Evidently  he  had  died  there 
doing  his  duty  like  a  man.  I  don't  know  whether  anybody  ob- 
tained his  name  and  address  or  not.  But  as  I  think  over  these 


142  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

incidents  now  and  then,  I  have  often  regretted  that  I  did  not 
know  the  names  and  address  of  friends  he  left  behind  when  he 
went  off  to  the  war.  I  would  like  to  tell  them  what  those  of  us 
who  saw  him  as  he  lay  there  knew; — how  bravely  he  had  died; 
and  how  nobly,  as  the  evidences  around  him  showed,  he  had 
performed  his  duty  to  the  last. 

But  I  have  delayed  too  long  upon  these  incidents.  After  the 
Tullahoma  campaign  we  remained  in  Winchester,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Kerr  being  still  in  command  of  the  regiment.  On  the 
march  from  Winchester  to  Stevenson,  Alabama,  over  the  mount- 
ains, he  still  led  us.  No  special  incidents  relating  to  his  per- 
sonal history  occurred  that  I  am  aware  of,  until  the  battle  of 
Mission  Ridge.  At  that  battle  Colonel  Marsh  was  wounded,  and 
the  command  devolved  upon  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr/ 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  to  his  wife  after 
the  battle,  gives  in  his  own  words,  an  account  of  the  part  he- 
took  in  that  engagement.  It  is  dated  Chattanooga,  Tennessee, 
November  27,  1863,  and  is  as  follows: 

"You  will  have  seen  accounts  of  the  terrible  battle  we  have 
had  long  before  this  reaches  you.  We  were  in  the  very  thickest 
of  the  fight.  I  can  tell  you  about  it  if  I  ever  live  to  get  home, 
but  I  can  never  write  a  description  of  it.  Mission  Ridge  is  over 
a  thousand  feet  high,  and  we  had  to  charge  across  an  open  field 
for  half  a  mile  and  up  that  (the  Ridge)  under  the  fire  of  the  en- 
emy's guns;  the  whole  distance  from  where  we  started  being 
over  a  mile,  and  we  moved  at  the  double  quick  most  of  the  way. 
Our  regiment  was  in  the  fourth  line  when  we  started,  but  our 
colors  were  the  first  on  the  Ridge.  We  passed  over  the  other 
lines  at  the  first  line  of  intrenchments  at  the  foot  of  the  Ridge. 
When  we  got  to  the  intrenchment  our  line  hesitated,  and  the 
color  bearer  seemed  to  falter.  I  shouted  to  him  to  go  over.  He 
looked  at  me  to  see  if  I  could  be  in  earnest,  for  a  perfect  deluge 
of  shot  was  flying  around  us.  I  dashed  up  to  him  and  told  him 
to  give  me  the  colors,  when  he  sprang  over  like  a  deer.  Honor 
to  the  brave  boy. 

'Mac'  (his  horse)  refused  to  go  over  the  ditch,  and  I  left 
him  there  and  pushed  on  with  the  boys.  When  I  was  about  half 
way  up  the  hill  I  was  struck  by  a  ball  which  had  hit  some  other 
person,  as  the  opening  in  the  end  of  it  was  full  of  blood  and 
flesh.  It  struck  me  in  the  leg  just  below  the  knee,  making  it 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  143 

perfectly  numb  for  a  few  moments.  I  felt  weak  and  sick;  but 
one  of  the  boys  came  along  soon  and  gave  me  a  drink  from  his 
canteen,  and  I  pushed  on  and  reached  the  top  among  the  first. 
Three  of  our  colors  bearers  fell,  one  dead.  All  fell  in  the  very 
front,  waving  our  bonnie  flag  in  the  face  of  the  enemy. 

The  flag  had  fourteen  bullet  holes  shot  through  it.  It  is  no 
use  to  try  and  enumerate  narrow  escapes,  for  the  bullets  rattled 
like  hail  all  the  time,  and  the  only  wonder  to  me  is  how  anyone 
escaped.  The  enemy  made  a  great  mistake  in  shooting  too  high. 
Most  of  their  shots  passed  just  over  our  heads.  If  they  had 
shot  low  enough  nothing  could  have  lived  on  that  hill.  I  could 
hear  the  canister  "soughing"  over  my  head  like  a  flood  of  death, 
but  through  it  all  we  reached  the  top,  and  the  enemy  fled  like 
sheep.  We  captured  a  great  many  prisoners  and  nearly  all 
their  cannon.  It  was  glory  enough  for  one  day.  We  pushed 
on  two  miles  further  that  night,  and  the  next  day  as  far  as  Chick- 
amauga  creek. 

There  we  were  relieved  by  Palmer's  corps,  and  moved  back 
to  camp.  I  talked  a  little  to  the  boys.  We  gave  three  cheers 
for  the  flag  and  the  cause,  and  then  the  boys  gave  three  cheers 
for  your  husband;  and  thus  ended  our  first  campaign  under 
Grant. 

Wednesday  night  I  lay  out  all  night  without  blankets,  and 
we  were  allowed  to  build  only  small  fires,  and  it  was  bitter  cold. 
Thursday  I  had  nothing  to  eat  until  night.  I  could  not  help 
thinking  of  the  nice  times  you  were  probably  having  at  your 
Thanksgiving  dinner.  But  your  meal,  however  good  it  may 
have  been,  was  a  meagre  one  compared  with  ours,  for  our  feast 
was  a  victory." 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr  commanded  the  regiment  from  that 
time  in  the  march  to  Knoxville,  and  during  the  campaign  in  East 
Tennessee.  Col.  Marsh  joined  the  regiment  again  early  in 
March,  1864,  probably  when  it  was  at  Davis  Ford,  on  the  Little 
Tennessee  river,  and  he  remained  with  the  regiment  until  it 
reached  Kingston,  Georgia,  May  19th,  1864.  From  Kingston 
Col.  Marsh  was  obliged  to  return  to  Lookout  Mountain  hospital, 
temporarily,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr  again  took  command. 
He  led  the  regiment  at  Dallas  and  New  Hope,  Georgia,  May 
25th  to  June  6th:  at  Lost  Mountain  June  16th;  and  in  the  diffi- 
cult approaches  to  the  main  line  at  Kennesaw,  from  the  17th  to 


144  FOURTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

the  23rd  of  June.  His  leadership  was  distinguised  by  zeal,  abil- 
ity and  courage.  He  was  a  competent  commander.  I  am  per- 
mitted to  quote  the  following  from  a  letter  to  his  wife,  which  is 
dated  Kingston,  Georgia,  May  20th,  1864. 

"We  are  taking  the  first  day's  rest  we  have  had  for  twenty 
days'.  We  have  been  marching,  watching  or  fighting  all  the  time. 
The  enemy,  after  retreating  from  Dalton,  took  an  intrenched  po- 
sition along  the  ridge  of  hills  north  of  Resaca,  here  we  attacked 
them  on  May  14th,  as  I  wrote  you  before.  On  the  night  of  the 
15th  they  again  retreated,  and  again  we  started  in  pursuit,  the, 
rear  guard  skirmishing  with  us  all  the  way.  On  Tuesday  after- 
noon they  made  a  stand  near  Adair,  and  we  fought  them  all  the 
afternoon.  The  regiment  suffered  pretty  badly.  We  lost  one 
killed  and  thirty  wounded.  Our  loss  during  the  last  week  has 
been  four  killed  and  fifty  wounded. 

On  Tuesday's  fight  I  ran  across  an  open  field  to  where  the 
men  were  within  fifteen  rods  of  the  rebels,  and  at  least  fifty  shots 
were  fired  at  me.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  they  cannot  hit  me, 
or  rather  that  Providence  protects  me,  for  in  every  fight  the  bul- 
lets have  pattered  round  me  like  hail." 

Sergeant  Black,  of  Jessup,  Iowa,  has  sent  me  his  recollec- 
tion of  the  brigade,  division  and  corps  organizations  at  that  time, 
and  it  may  serve  to  refresh  your  memories.  The  Seventy-fourth 
was  in  the  first  brigade,  second  division,  fourth  army  corps.  Gen. 
Nathan  Kimball,  of  Indiana,  was  the  brigade  commander.  He 
took  charge  at  Kingston,  May  21st,  and  remained  with  the  brig- 
ade until  July  25th,  when  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  first 
division  of  the  fourth  corps. 

The  second  brigade  of  the  division  was  under  the  command 
of  Gen.  Wagner,  and  the  third  under  Gen.  Harker,  of  Ohio,  a 
West  Pointer,  and  one  of  the  most  thorough  soldiers  in  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland — a  man  of  fine  appearance,  and  a  thorough 
going  military  air  of  business.  He,  too,  became  one  of  the  victims 
of  the  terrible  slaughter  at  Kenesaw,  being  killed  upon  the  rebel 
earthworks  at  the  head  of  his  command.  The  division  com- 
mander was  Gen.  John  Newton,  of  Virginia,  until  recently  chief 
engineer  of  the  army,  and  well  known  as  the  engineer  in  charge 
of  the  work  of  removing  the  obstructions  at  Hell  Gate,  be- 
tween New  York  Harbor  and  Long  Island  Sound.  He  has 
recently  been  placed  on  the  retired  list  of  the  army  at  his  own 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  145 

request,  and  appointed  commissioner  of  public  works  of  New 
York  City. 

The  commander  of  the  fourth  army  corps  was  Major-Gen- 
eral O.  O.  Howard.  I  cannot  do  better  than  to  give  you  in  Ser- 
geant Black's  own  words,  his  account  of  the  final  assault  at  Ken- 
esaw  Mountain.  He  writes  as  follows: 

"This  brings  us  down  to  our  last  position  in  front  of  Kene- 
saw,  from  which  was  made  that  terrible  assault  that  resulted  in 
his  capture  and  death.  The  horrible  scenes  of  that  struggle  are 
still  so  vivid  in  my  mind  that  I  can  scarcely  write  or  think  cool- 
ly about  it.  Have  always  regarded  it  as  murder  pure  and  simple. 
Am  satisfied  that  there  was  no  hope  or  even  expectation  in  the 
minds  of  those  ordering  the  assault  that  we  could  accomplish 
anything;  and  to  sacrifice  men  under  such  circumstances  seems 
to  me  senseless,  brutal  and  murderous.  While  I  do  not  pretend 
to  military  criticism,  yet,  as  one  of  the  proposed  victims,  I  feel 
that  I  have  a  right  to  express  my  convictions. 

Here,  upon  the  morning  of  June  27th,  after  much  cannon- 
ading and  parading,  and  showing  what  manner  of  men  we  were, 
(that  is  the  brigade  to  which  we  belonged)  we  were  ordered  over 
our  earthworks  to  support  the  second  brigade  of  our  division 
which  was  ordered  to  carry  the  rebel  works  in  our  front. 

Those  works  were  a  matter  of  some  fifty  rods  from  our  own, 
the  intervening  space  having  been  densely  timbered,  but  a  part 
of  the  large  timber  had  just  been  felled,  while  the  smaller  timber 
had  been  lopped  (cut  partially  off  two  and  a  half  or  three  feet  from 
the  ground)  and  tangled  in  every  conceivable  manner.  About 
midway  between  the  lines,  and  running  parallel  with  them,  was 
a  moderate  depression  or  ravine. 

As  if  to  make  sure  of  the  last  man  in  our  brigade,  we  were 
formed  in  solid  mass,  and  in  this  way  were  finally  ordered  for- 
ward, when  the  Second  brigade  faltered  and  stopped  at  the  ravine. 
On  we  went,  the  various  regimental  commanders  leading  their 
men  personally  (no  higher  officer  being  with  us)  and  on  foot. 
We  went  quickly  through  and  beyond  the  men  of  the  Second 
brigade,  right  up  to  the  muzzles  of  the  rebel  guns,  the  men  fall- 
ing by  scores  at  every  step,  so  that  when  we  reached  the  vicinity 
of  the  works  there  were  comparatively  few  men  left  to  make  the 
final  attempt.  Near  by  upon  the  right,  Harker's  brigade,  which 
had  started  in  concert  with  the  Second,  had  moved  directly  up 


146  FOURTH  REUNION  OF  THE 

to  the  works,  (Gen.  Harker  being  killed  upon  the  works,}  but 
finding  themselves  unsupported  by  the  Second,  which  had  stop- 
ped at  the  ravine,  dare  not  push  over,  and  laid  down.  Thus  it 
was  when  the  decimated  ranks  of  our  brigade  had  reached  the 
works  that  some  one  gave  the  order  'lie  down,'  which  was  in- 
stantly obeyed. 

Among  the  foremost  of  the  regimental  officers  leading  their 
men  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr;  he,  with  others,  giving  the 
order  to  lie  down.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr  was  at  this  time,  I 
should  say,  thirty  feet  from  the  rebel  works,  finally  taking  shel- 
ter behind  a  large  chestnut  tree  near  by,  (some  have  placed  the 
distance  nearer  to  the  rebel  works).  Here  he  attempted  to  en- 
courage and  soothe  the  men  by  words  of  cheer,  telling  us  we 
would  have  help  in  a  moment,  when  we  would  all  dash  over  the 
works  together.  We  were  well  up  in  the  notch  of  two  angles, 
and  of  course  suffered  an  enfilading  as  well  as  a  direct  fire  from 
the  enemy,  who  were  perfectly  secure  behind  their  great  earth- 
work, with  head  logs,  etc.,  etc. 

A  short  distance  to  the  left  of  Col.  Kerr  there  was  a  battery 
whose  fire  was  continuous  and  murderous  in  the  extreme.  The 
cannoniers  using  canister  at  that  short  range,  killed  and  maimed 
our  fellows  by  the  score  at  every  discharge.  Here  we  lay  help- 
less what  seemed  to  me  hours,  but  was  afterwards  ascertained  to 
be  a  matter  of  about  twenty  minutes.  Under  these  circumstances, 
you  may  be  sure,  it  was  not  an  easy  thing  for  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Kerr  to  maintain  his  coolness  and  self  possession,  and  speak 
words  of  sympathy  and  encouragement  to  the  men  about  him. 

Personally  I  was  directly  in  rear  of  him  and  about  twenty 
feet  distant,  so  that  I  was  able  to  hear  almost  every  word  he 
spoke.  Directly  in  front  of  me,  with  my  bundle  upon  which  I 
rested  my  breast,  between  his  feet,  lay  Lieutenant  Aleck  Beattie, 
of  Co.  C.  After  we  had  been  in  this  position  some  time,  Lieu- 
tenant Beattie  cried  out  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kerr,  telling  him 
that  he  was  hurt  and  asking  what  he  should  do.  The  Colonel 
replied,  'get  back  if  you  can,  Aleck,  this  is  no  place  for  you.' 
Lieutenant  Beattie  made  some  remark  in  regard  to  the  dangerous 
character  of  the  undertaking,  when  the  Colonel  again  spoke  to 
him,  saying,  'It  is  no  more  dangerous  than  staying;  I  would  try 
it  anyway,  Aleck.'  Let  me  here  say  that  I  think  (I  believe  I 
may  say  that  I  positively  know)  that  those  were  the  last  words 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  147 

spoken  to  any  individual  member  of  the  regiment  by  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel. A  minute  later  there  seemed  to  come  a  lull  in 
the  firing  from  the  enemy,  and  shortly  after  a  large  force  of  them 
sprang  over  the  works,  ordering  all  to  surrender  and  get  inside. 
This  was  our  chance:  instinctively,  it  seemed,  those  who  were 
able  to  get  upon  their  feet  rose  as  one  man  and  ran  back. 

Just  as  the  rebels  sprang  out,  Col.  Kerr  rose  from  a  sitting 
posture  by  the  tree,  and  immediately  fell  back  as  though  hurt. 
As  I  turned  and  ran  with  the  rest,  I  caught  a  momentary  glance 
of  a  rebel  officer  standing  over  him  with  a  flashing  blade.  The 
rest  is  easily  told. 

An  Atlanta  paper  of  an  early  date  gave  us  the  information 
that  among  the  prisoners  taken  at  Kenesaw  on  the  27th,  was 
Lieutenant-Colonel  J.  B.  Kerr,  who  was  severely  wounded. 

Later,  after  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  some  of  the  members  of 
the  regiment,  strolling  through  the  cemetery,  found  a  grave,  the 
head-board  bearing  this  inscription:  'Col.  J.  B.  Kerr,  died  in 
prison  hospital,  July  fourth.'  ' 


Proceedings  Fifth  Reunion 

September  4th,  1555,  Rocfcford,   Illinois 

PRESENT  97. 


BUSINESS   MEETING. 

Assembled  at  Grand  Army  Hall,  Rockford,  111.,  Sept.  4, 
1888,  at  1:00  p.m.  Marched  to  the  fairgrounds  under  command 
of  comrade  John  Beatson.  Called  to  order  at  fair  grounds  by 
the  senior  Vice-President,  J.  S.  Cowen. 

Upon  motion  it  was  decided  to  hold  the  next  reunion  on  the 
last  Wednesday  in  August,  1889. 

Considerable  discussion  as  to  the  place  was  had;  but  Ore- 
gon was  finally  decided  upon  for  the  next  meeting,  owing  to  the 
very  cordial  invitation  and  persuasive  talk  of  the  members  of 
Co.  G. 

Upon  motion  the  following  members  were  chosen  officers 
for  the  ensuing  year: 

JOSEPH  HAWTHORNE,  President. 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

Jas.  A.  Cowan Company  A 

Edward  Wells "  B 

Robert  Simpson "  C 

John  Beatson "  D 

A.  M.  Blakesley "  E 

Levi  Sanders •'  F 

John  G.  Waldie "  G 

Oscar  Franklin "  H 

Geo.  G.  Cannon "  I 

H.  B.  Utter «  K 

JOHN  MATMILLER,  Secretary. 

P,  H.  TALBOT,  Treasurer. 


150  FIFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

Upon  motion  the  following  comrades  of  other  regiments  were 
elected  honorary  members:  Rev.  G.  R.  Vanhorne,  Edward  Mum- 
by  and  John  Mitchell. 

Article  2  of  the  constitution  was  amended  so  as  to  make  the 
wives  of  deceased  comrades  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  hon- 
orary members. 

The  following  comrades  were  appointed  as  a  committee  to 
draft  resolutions  on  deceased  comrades,  and  report  at  the  next 
meeting:  John  M.  Fraley,  M.  S.  Parmele  and  Thos.  W.  Cole. 

Deceased  comrades  were  reported  as  follows:  S.  C.  Lock- 
wood,  Co.  H;  John  A.  Harrell,  Co.  I;  Jas.  G.  Luce.  Co.  D;  W. 
B.  Anderson,  Co.  K;  David  Castner,  Co.  D. 

The  Vice-Presidents  were  made  committee  to  gather  data 
with  a  view  to  making  a  complete  roster  of  the  regiment.  Upon 
motion  adjourned. 

After  partaking  of  a  bountiful  dinner  provided  and  served  by 
the  ladies,  the  society  was  again  called  to  order  by  the  senior 
Vice-President,  J.  S.  Cowen. 

Speeches  were  made  by  comrades  Cowen  and  G.  R.  Van- 
horne, and  a  paper  read  by  John  H.  Sherratt  on  "Some  correc- 
tions of  Grant's  Memoirs  as  regards  Gen.  Geo.  H.  Thomas." 

Upon  motion,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  extended  to  the  ladies  of 
Rockford  for  their  work  in  connection  with  the  reunion;  to  the 
fair  association  for  the  use  of  its  grounds;  and  to  the  Baptist  so- 
ciety for  the  use  of  its  dining  hall. 

The  exercises  were  concluded  b)'  a  rousing  camp  fire  in  the 
evening,  at  Grand  Army  Hall,  participated  in  by  the  comrades 
of  other  regiments.  JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,  Secretary. 


SOME  CORRECTIONS  OF  GRANT'S  MEMOIRS  AS  RE- 
GARDS GEN.   GEO.   H.   THOMAS. 

BY  JOHN  H.   SHERRATT. 
READ  AT  FIFTH  REUNION,  SEPT.  4,  1888. 

Mr.  President  and  Comrades  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois: 

When  last  we  met  in  reunion  we  were  fresh  from  the  reading  of 
the  Memoirs  of  Gen.  Grant.  In  those  Memoirs  are  several  state- 
ments reflecting  upon  the  military  reputatfon  of  Gen.  George  H. 
Thomas;  and  I  was  requested  to  submit,  at  this  meeting,  a  paper 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  151 

with  reference  thereto.  To  defend  the  memory  of  Gen.  Thomas  is  a 
labor  of  love  to  every  old  soldier  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland; 
and  an  invitation  to  such  a  service  comes  to  us  as  a  command. 
He  who  led  that  army  so  often  to  victory,  and  never  to  defeat, 
has  long  since  been  touched  by  the  lips  of  everlasting  silence; 
but  we,  his  surviving  comrades,  would  speak  for  him;  and  for 
his  perfect  vindication  would  refer  to  his  record  alone. 

Grant  and  Thomas  first  met  during  the  war  at  Shiloh,  the 
one  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  the  other  in  com- 
mand of  a  division  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  that  came  so  oppor- 
tunely on  that  hard  fought  field.  A  year  and  a  half  later,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1863,  they  met  again,  this  time  at  Chattanooga;  one  in 
command  of  the  military  division  of  the  Mississippi,  a  deserved 
recognition  of  his  matchless  campaign  of  Vicksburg;  the  other 
in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  that  he  had  saved  at 
Chickamauga.  A  grave  crisis  demanded  united  council;  and 
the  part  borne  by  Gen.  Thomas  in  those  troublous  times  should 
be  read,  not  in  the  Memoirs  of  1884,  but  in  the  official  reports  of 
1863,  written  when  all  the  facts  were  fresh.  To  those  reports  we 
shall  appeal. 

In  the  Memoirs,  Grant  states  that  he  arrived  at  Chattanoo- 
ga October  23d,  and  that  on  the  night  of  the  24th  he  issued  or- 
ders for  the  opening  up  the  route  to  Bridgeport,  a  cracker  line, 
as  the  soldiers  appropriately  called  it.  The  matter  is  a  small  one, 
but  he  should  have  stated  that  orders  for  this  identical  move- 
ment were  issued  ten  days  before.  This  is  shown  by  a  telegram 
of  October  23rd  by  C.  A.  Dana,  assistant  secretary  of  war,  then 
at  Chattanooga,  who  states  that  "the  pontoons  are  done  for  a 
bridge  across  Lookout  Valley,"  and  complained  that  Hooker 
waits  at  Bridgeport  for  his  wagons,  though  ordered  ten  days  be- 
fore to  occupy  Racoon  Mountain  and  Lookout  Valley.  It  is  also 
shown  by  a  dispatch  from  Grant  himself,  of  October  26th,  to 
Halleck,  wherein  he  says:  "Gen.  Thomas  had  also  set  on  foot 
before  my  arrival  a  plan  for  getting  possession  of  the  river  from 
a  point  below  Lookout  Mountain  to  Bridgeport.  If  successful, 
and  I  think  it  will  be.  the  question  of  supplies  will  be  fully 
settled."  The  movement  was  in  fact  conceived  by  Gen.  Rose- 
crans  before  he  was  relieved  of  command,  and  to  him  due  credit 
should  have  been  given. 

The  cracker  line  being  open  and  guarded  by  Hooker's  men 


152  FIFTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  our  position  in  Chattanooga  was 
secure.  Starvation  had  been  our  chief  menace,  and  the  hopes 
of  the  enemy  faded  as  our  commissary  stores  increased.  Bragg, 
recognizing  now  his  inability  to  capture  the  place,'  allowed  Long- 
street,  with  15,000  men,  to  march  away  to  the  siege  of  Knoxville. 
Then  began  a  flood  of  telegrams  from  Stanton  and  Halleck  at 
Washington,  to  Grant  at  Chattanooga,  urging  him  to  relieve 
Burnside  and  save  East  Tennessee.  With  this  end  in  view, 
Grant  decided  upon  an  immediate  attack  upon  Bragg's  position. 
I  read  now  from  the  Memoirs:  "On  the  fourth  of  November 
Longstreet  left  our  front  with  15,000  troops,  besides  Wheeler's 
cavalry  of  5,000  more,  to  go  against  Burnside.  On  the  7th,  be- 
fore Longstreet  could  possibly  have  reached  Knoxville,  I  order- 
ed Thomas  peremptorily  to  attack  the  enemy's  right,  so  as  to 
force  the  return  of  the  troops  that  had  gone  up  the  valley.  I 
directed  him  to  take  mules,  officers'  horses,  or  animals  wherever 
he  could  get  them,  to  move  the  necessary  artillery,  But  he  per- 
sisted in  the  declaration  that  he  could  not  see  how  he  could  pos- 
sibly comply  with  the  order."  This  order  of  November  7th  was, 
(I  read  from  the  order  itself)  "to  attack  on  the  northern  end  of 
Missionary  Ridge,  and,  when  that  was  carried,  to  threaten  and 
attack,  if  possible,  the  enemy's  communications  between  Cleve- 
land and  Dalton. "  This  meant,  of  course,  a  general  engage- 
ment. It  was  identical  with  the  movement  attempted  eighteen 
days  later,  when  Sherman,  with  six  divisions,  failed  to  carry  this 
very  point;  and  in  the  light  of  that  experience  who  shall  say  that 
Thomas  was  not  right  in  his  judgment  as  to  this  movement, 
and  in  prevailing  upon  Grant  to  revoke  his  order  that  the  army 
was  not  saved  from  a  great  disaster?  The  revocation  of  this 
order,  according  to  a  recent  letter  of  Gen.  W.  F.  Smith,  came 
about  in  this  way.  Upon  its  receipt,  Thomas  said  to  Gen.  Smith, 
his  chief  engineer:  "If  I  attempt  to  carry  out  this  order  my  army 
will  be  terribly  beaten.  You  must  go  and  get  the  order  revoked;" 
and  after  a  reconnoisance  by  them  and  Gen.  Brannan,  chief  of 
artillery,  from  a  hill  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Tennessee  river, 
opposite  the  mouth  of  the  South  Chickamauga  creek,  Smith  re- 
ported to  Grant  that  in  their  judgment  nothing  could  be  done 
till  the  arrival  of  Sherman. 

That    this    conclusion    commended    itself    to    the    military 
judgment  of  Gen.  Grant,  is  evinced  by  his  official  report  made 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  153 

at  the  time.  In  it  he  says:  "Directions were  given  for  the  move- 
ment against  Missionary  Ridge  with  a  view  to  carrying  it.  *  * 
After  a  thorough  reconnoisance  of  the  ground,  however,  it  was 
deemed  utterly  impossible  to  make  the  move  until  Sherman 
could  get  up,  because  of  the  inadequacy  of  our  forces  and  the 
condition  of  the  animals  then  in  Chattanooga." 

Here,  then,  in  Grant's  official  report,  is  no  charge  against 
Thomas  whatever:  and  the  failure  to  attack  does  not  rest  alone 
upon  the  want  of  animals  to  haul  the  guns,  but  upon  the  weight- 
ier fact  of  the  "inadequacy  of  our  forces." 

Coming  to  the  25th  of  November,  that  memorable  day  at 
Missionary  Ridge,  when  the  rank  and  file  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  distinguished  itself  forever,  I  read  this  from  the 
Memoirs:  "His  (Hooker)  reaching  Bragg's  flank  and  extending 
across  it  was  to  be  the  signal  for  Thomas'  assault  of  the  Ridge. 
But  Sherman's  condition  was  getting  so  critical  that  the  assault 
for  his  relief  could  not  be  delayed  any  longer.  I  now  directed 
Thomas  to  order  the  charge  at  once.  I  watched  eagerly  to  see 
the  effect,  and  became  impatient  at  last  that  there  was  no  indica- 
tion of  any  charge  being  made.  *  *  Turning  to  Thomas  to 
inquire  what  caused  the  delay,  I  was  surprised  to  see  Thomas  J. 
Wood,  one  of  the  division  commanders  who  was  to  make  the 
charge,  standing  talking  to  him.  I  spoke  to  Gen.  Wood,  asking 
him  why  he  did  not  charge  as  ordered  an  hour  before.  He  re- 
plied very  promptly  that  this  was  the  first  he  had  heard  of  it.  I 
told  him  to  make  the  charge  at  once.  He  was  off  in  a  moment; 
and  in  an  incredibly  short  time  loud  cheering  was  heard,  and  he 
and  Sherman  were  driving  the  enemy's  advance  before  them  to 
Missionary  Ridge." 

Gen.  Wood,  to  whom  I  wrote  in  regard  to  this,  replied  as 
follows: 

DAYTON,  Ohio,  Sept.  22,  1887. 

COMRADE  J.  H.  SHERRATT.  Dear  Sir:  Your  esteemed  favor 
of  the  21st  inst,  giving  extracts  from  Gen.  Grant's  Memoirs  in 
regard  to  the  assault  on  Missionary  Ridge  is  received.  The  ex- 
tracts are  not  correct,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned;  and  1  am  sure 
Gen.  Grant's  memory  was  at  fault  when  he  wrote  the  narrative. 

Truly  yours,  T.  J.  WOOD. 

See,  also,  how  this  grave  charge  of  disobedience  of  orders 
by  Thomas,  made  by  Grant  in  1884,  melts  away  in  the  light  of 
the  following  from  Grant's  official  report  of  1863:  "This  move. 


154  FIFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

ment  of  his  (Bragg's  reinforcement  of  his  right)  being  plainly 
seen  from  the  position  I  occupied  on  Orchard  Knob,  Baird's 
division  was  ordered  to  support  Sherman,  but  receiving  a  note 
from  Sherman  that  he  had  all  the  force  necessary,  Baird  was  put 
in  position  on  Thomas'  left.  The  appearance  of  Hooker's  col- 
umns was  at  this  time  anxiously  looked  for  and  momentarily  ex- 
pected moving  north  on  the  Ridge.  His  approach  was  intended 
as  the  signal  for  storming  the  Ridge  in  the  center  with  strong 
columns;  but  the  length  of  time  necessarily  consumed  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  bridge  over  Chattanooga  creek,  detained  him  to  a 
later  hour  than  expected.  Being  satisfied  from  the  latest  in- 
formation from  him  that  he  must  by  this  time  be  on  his  way 
from  Rossville,  though  not  yet  in  sight,  determined  me  to  order 
the  advance  at  once.  Thomas  was  accordingly  directed  to  move 
forward  his  troops  constituting  our  center,  Baird's,  Wood's, 
Sheridan's  and  Johnson's  divisions,  and  carry  the  rifle  pits  at  the 
foot  of  the  Ridge;  and  when  carried,  to  reform  his  lines  with  a 
view  of  carrying  the  top  of  the  Ridge.  The  troops  moved  for- 
ward, etc." 

Here,  then,  it  appears  from  Grant's  official  report  that 
Thomas  was  not  ordered  to  move  until  the  latest  information 
from  Hooker  placed  him  on  his  way  from  Rossville.  Now  Hook- 
er did  not  leave  Chattanooga  creek  till  after  2:00  p.  m.,and  there 
was  no  good  ground  to  expect  that  he  would  be  on  his  way- from 
Rossville,  though  not  yet  in  sight,  before  3:00  p.  m,,  as  a  march 
of  several  miles  was  necessary.  It  also  appears  that  the  march 
on  Missionary  Ridge  was  not  ordered  until  Baird  was  put  in  posi- 
tion on  Thomas'  left.  Thomas'  official  report  fixes  that  time  at 
about  2:30  p.  m.  It  says:  "Owing  to  the  difficulties  of  the 
ground'  his  (Baird's)  troops  did  not  get  into  line  until  about  2:30 
p.  m.  Orders  were  then  given  to  move  forward  on  Granger's 
left,  and  within  supporting  distance,  against  the  enemy's  rifle 
pits  on  the  slope  at  the  foot  of  Missionary  Ridge.  The  whole 
line  then  advanced,  etc." 

Gen.  Baird,  in  a  letter,  states:  "I  reached  there  and  got  my 
troops  in  position  just  as  the  gun  was  fired  directing  the  assault;" 
and  we  all  know  that  the  whole  line  moved  at  the  sound  of  the 
signal  gun. 

Sherman's  official  report  fixes  the  time  of  advance  at  3:00 
p.  m.  It  says:  "About  3:00  p.  m.  I  noticed  the  whole  line  of 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  155 

musketry  fire  in  front  of   Orchard  Knob  extending   farther  and 
farther  right  and  left  and  on." 

The  evidence,  then,  from  all  the  official  reports,  agrees 
that  no  movement  in  the  center  could  have  been  ordered  by 
Grant  before  about  2:30  p.  m. ;  and  as  the  line  was  well  under 
way  and  engaged  by  3:00  p.  m.,  there  could  not  have  been  an 
hour's  delay  on  Thomas'  part,  as  charged  by  Grant  in  the  Me- 
moirs. Indeed  there  could  have  been  no  delay  at  all.  Thomas 
was  nothing  if  not  a  soldier;  and  with  Sherman  engaged  to  the 
death  at  the  tunnel,  he  needed  no  second  order  to  advance  in  the 
center  to  his  relief.  And  that  army,  disciplined  by  him  and  in- 
fused by  his  martial  spirit,  made  the  most  magnificent  charge  in 
all  history.  It  went  to  the  foot  of  the  Ridge,  to  the  top  of  the 
Ridge,  and  beyond;  and  was  stopped  only  by  the  early  gather- 
ing shades  of  that  November  night.  It  outran  its  orders,  and 
was  carried  on  to  victory  by  its  impulses.  The  army  and  its 
commander  should  live  in  story  and  in  song  so  long  as  great 
deeds  find  expression  by  tongue  or  pen. 

Though  not  necessary  for  the  defense  of  Thomas,  it  is  prop- 
er to  state  in  this  connection  that  Grant's  order  for  battle, 
Thomas'  official  report,  and  the  testimony  of  all  in  position  to 
know,  negatives  the  assertion  of  theMemoirs  that  "his  (Hooker) 
reaching  Bragg's  flank  and  extending  across  it,  was  to  be  the 
signal  for  Thomas'  assault  of  the  Ridge,  No  assault  of  the 
Ridge  by  Thomas  was  contemplated  until  success  had  come  to 
Sherman  on  our  left,  but  the  assault  of  the  Ridge  was  a  private 
matter  of  those  immediately  concerned,  and  for  which  no  general 
officer  of  high  command  was  responsible.  In  a  recent  conversa- 
tion with  Gen.  Wood,  he  told  me  that  his  orders  were  to  go 
to  the  foot  of  the  Ridge  and  stop.  Indeed  it  is  the  testimony  of 
Gen.  J.  S.  Fullerton  that  when  the  troops  began  the  ascent  of 
the  Ridge,  Grant  turned  to  Thomas  and  angrily  inquired  as  to 
who  gave  the  order,  and  stated  substantially  that  somebody 
would  suffer  for  it  if  all  did  not  go  well.  In  Grant's  plan  of  battle 
the  few  troops  left  with  Thomas  were  to  play  a  very  minor  part. 
One  half  of  all  the  forces  at  Chattanooga  were  given  to  Sherman, 
and  to  him  was  entrusted  the  main  attack.  That  attack  having 
tailed,  not  from  any  lack  of  gallantry  on  the  part  of  those  who 
made  it,  a  demonstration  was  ordered  in  the  center  for  their  re- 
lief. It  was  wholly  an  accident  that  the  demonstration  became 


156  FIFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

the  victorious  assault;  and  all  credit  should  be  given  here,  as  at 
Orchard  Knob  two  days  before,  to  the  men  who  ran  away  from 
their  generals,  and  won  a  victory  in  spite  of  them.  For  troops 
who  needed  the  inspiring  example  of  an  initiative  by  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee  to  get  them  out  of  their  trenches,  they  did  well. 

The  Memoirs  also  state  in  substance  that  Thomas  was  to 
have  Granger,  with  the  Fourth  corps  reinforced  to  20,000,  ready 
to  move  on  Knoxville  after  the  battle  at  Missionary  Ridge;  that 
on  the  27th,  he  (Grant)  sent  back  word  from  Ringgold  to  Thomas 
to  start  Granger  at  once,  and  that  on  the  29th,  when  he  returned 
to  Chattanooga,  Thomas  had  not  yet  started  him,  but  that 
Granger  had  decided  for  himself  that  it  was  a  bad  move  to 
make. 

As  I  have  been  unable  to  find  anything  in  the  official  reports 
accessible  to  me  to  either  confirm  or  refute  this,  I  have  had  re- 
course to  some  of  the  living  actors  in  that  drama  for  testimony. 
Gen.  J.  S.  Fullerton,  chief  of  staff  to  Granger  at  that  time,  writes 
me  from  St.  Louis,  under  date  of  December  9,  1887,  as  follows: 
.  "Grant's  order  to  Granger  was  to  come  down  from  Mission- 
ary Ridge,  get  ready  to  go  to  Knoxville,  and  wait  further  orders. 
This  he  did  at  once  and  reported  fully  ready.  After  waiting  till 
his  patience  was  exhausted,  there  came  the  order  to  start,  and 
he  started  immediately.  Grant  sent  a  messenger  from  Ringgold 
to  Granger  at  the  Hiawassee  crossing,  thanking  him  for  his 
prompt  and  energetic  movement.  After  Granger  had  been  re- 
moved, Garfield  showed  this  note  to  Lincoln  and  Stanton,  and 
both  said  he  should  be  assigned  to  any  command  he  desired. 
He  was  sent  to  Mobile." 

I  have  a  letter  dated  Cincinnati,  July  16,  1888,  from  Capt. 
J.  G.  Taylor,  A.  D.  C. ,  to  Gen.  Granger,  at  the  time  of  the  battle 
of  Missionary  Ridge,  with  reference  to  this  note  of  Grant  referred 
to  by  Gen.  Fullerton.  He  writes: 

"The  autograph  note  mentioned  was  not  seen  by  me  until 
in  New  York  City,  where  Gen.  Granger  was  ordered  to  report 
after  he  had  been  relieved  from  command  of  the  Fourth  army 
corps.  It  was  given  to  Gen.  Garfield,  who  was  then  in  congress, 
and  he  went  with  it  and  other  papers  to  have  Gen.  Granger  re- 
stored to  active  service.  In  this  he  was  successful,  and  Granger 
was  ordered  to  New  Orleans,  and  subsequently  to  Mobile  Bay, 
where  his  part  in  these  campaigns  is  well  known." 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  157 

If  Grant,  while  at  Ringgold,  sent  a  messenger  to  Granger 
at  the  Hiawassee  crossing,  the  Memoirs  are  certainly  wrong  in 
stating  that  on  the  29th,  when  he  returned  to  Chattanooga, 
Thomas  had  not  yet  started  him.  And  if  this  messenger  convey- 
ed an  autograph  note  from  Grant  thanking  Granger  for  his  prompt 
and  energetic  movement,  no  further  evidence  is  needed  that  the 
reflections  cast  upon  Gens.  Thomas  and  Granger  were  unde- 
served. 

Passing  over  the  succeeding  twelve  months,  I  again  read 
from  the  Memoirs  this  dreadful  indictment:  "Thomas  made  no 
effort  to  reinforce  Schofield  at  Franklin  as  it  seemed  to  me  at  the 
time  he  should  have  done,  and  fight  out  the  battle  there.  He 
simply  ordered  Schofield  to  continue  his  retreat  to  Nashville, 
which  the  latter  did  during  the  night  of  the  next  day.  Hood 
was  allowed  to  move  upon  Nashville  and  invest  that  place  al- 
most without  interference.  He  (Thomas)  had  troops  enough 
even  to  annihilate  him  in  the  open  field.  To  me  his  delay  was 
unaccountable,  sitting  there  and  permitting  himself  to  be  invest- 
ed." Here  are  charges  of  inefficiency  so  colossal  as  indicate 
either  imbecility  or  treachery,  and  made,  too,  against  an  officer 
who,  two  weeks  later,  won  the  most  magnificent  and  complete 
victory  of  the  war.  For  a  complete  vindication  of  Gen.  Thomas 
in  this  connection,  a  short  review  of  the  events  leading  up  to  the 
battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville  is  necessary. 

Previous  to  Sherman's  start  on  his  holiday  march  to  the  sea, 
Thomas  was  sent  back  to  Nashville  to  defend  Tennessee.  Sher- 
man, with  62,000  men,  as  well  appointed  and  perfect  an  army  as 
ever  marched,  turned  his  back  on  the  foe;  and,  so  far  as  the 
campaign  in  Tennessee  was  concerned,  might  as  well  have  been 
in  the  moon.  With  him  he  took  all  the  horses,  the  pontoon 
trains,  the  serviceable  wagons,  and  the  field  equipment  of  the 
whole  army,  and  turned  over  to  Gen.  Thomas  the  dismounted 
cavalry,  the  convalescents,  the  various  detachments  performing 
garrison  duty,  and  two  small  corps,  the  Fourth  and  Twenty- 
third,  aggregating  22,000  men.  Two  divisions  of  A.  J.  Smith's 
corps  were  promised  him  but  long  delayed,  the  first  division  of 
5,000  men  reaching  him  too  late  for  the  battle  of  Franklin,  and 
the  second  division  not  arriving  at  Nashville  until  December  2d. 
And  this  was  the  force  that,  according  to  the  Memoirs,  was 
enough  to  even  annihilate  him  (Hood)  in  the  open  field. 


158  FIFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

In  order  to  gain  time  for  concentration  and  organization, 
the  Fourth  and  Twenty-third  corps,  Schofield  in  command,  were 
pushed  to  the  front  at  Pulaski,  to  oppose  and  delay  the  enemy's 
advance.  The  battle  of  Franklin  was  fought  by  them  November 
30th,  and  was  won,  owing  to  the  strength  of  our  position,  from  a 
direct  assault,  and  to  the  splendid  valor  of  those  twoveteran  corps. 
The  temptation  is  great  to  halt  here  and  pay  a  deserved  tribute 
to  Opdyke's  brigade,  of  which  you  formed  a  part,  who,  when 
our  center  was  broken  and  all  seemed  lost,  charged  into-  the 
breach  and  restored  the  line.  I  want  some  day  to  see  the  ser- 
vices of  this  brigade  at  that  time  properly  written  up.  It  was 
Thomas'  idea  to  hold  the  field  at  Franklin,  and  he  telegraphed 
to  Schofield  to  know  if  he  could  maintain  his  position  for  three 
days  till  Smith  could  arrive.  Schofield  replied,  "I  do  not  be- 
lieve I  can;  would  hazard  something  in  holding  him  (Hood)  one 
day.  Ought  to  take  position  at  Bentwood  at  once."  Thomas 
of  course  deferred  to  the  judgment  of  the  officer  immediately  in 
command;  and  if  the  Memoirs  are  just  in  their  criticism  of  the 
retreat  from  Franklin,  Gen.  Schofield  should  bear  the  blame. 
But  are  they  just?  On  November  9th,  Hood  had  at  Florence, 
Ala.:  Infantry,  41,185;  Ca-valry,  3,544;  and  on  November  15th, 
was  joined  by  Forrest  with  9,000  more  cavalry.  To  oppose  these 
forces  we  had  at  Franklin  less  than  25,000  infantry  and  5,000 
cavalry;  and  there  was  great  danger  that  by  remaining  there 
longer  we  would  be  cut  off  from  Nashville  from  our  reinforce- 
ments and  supplies. 

On  December  2,  1864,  Grant,  at  City  Point,  commenced 
that  remarkable  series  of  telegrams  to  Thomas  at  Nashville, 
beseeching,  urging,  ordering  an  attack.  It  was  an  attempt  on 
his  part  to  conduct  a  campaign  when  one  thousand  miles  away, 
something  that  has  never  yet  been  successfully  accomplished. 
Thomas  replied  as  best  he  could,  regretting  and  explaining  the 
delay,  and  offering  to  submit  to  removal  rather  than  move  before 
he  was  ready.  In  addition  to  the  Fourth  and  Twenty-third  corps, 
Smith  was  on  hand  with  0,000  men.  Every  post  south  of  Nash- 
ville, except  Murfreesboro  and  Chattanooga,  had  been  aban- 
doned, and  from  this  source  had  come  5,000  men,  commanded 
by  Steadman.  A  division  of  5,000  more  had  been  formed  from 
convalescents,  and  from  men  whose  regiments  were  with  Sher- 
man. Horses  had  at  last  been  secured  for  the  cavalry,  and  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  159 

attack  was  ordered.  Then  commenced  a  storm  of  sleet,  last- 
ing for  three  days,  and  covering  hill  and  plain  with  a  sheet  of  ice 
making  the  movements  of  men  and  horses  dangerous,  if  not 
impossible.  Again  impatience  reigned  supreme  at  Washington 
and  at  City  Point.  Logan  was  started  westward  to  relieve 
Thomas  of  command;  and  so  great  was  Grant's  anxiety  that  he 
himself  started  for  Nashville. 

Clearing  skies  and  melting  ice  enabled  Thomas  to  strike  on 
the  15th.  Logan  was  stopped  at  Louisville,  and  Grant  at 
Washington;  and  in  his  own  good  time,  in  his  own  way,  and 
with  an  army  organized  for  the  emergency,  the  "Rock  of  Chick- 
amauga"  won  a  victory  that  should  have  disarmed  criticism.  He 
annihilated  Hood's  army,  an  armythathad  resisted  our  combined 
forces  for  six  months,  and  put  an  end  forever  to  armed  oppo- 
sition in  the  West.  He  did  more.  He  saved  the  military  repu- 
tation of  Gen.  Sherman;  for  had  disaster  come  to  us  at  Nashville, 
the  March  to  the  Sea  would  have  gone  down  in  history  as  the 
great  blunder  of  the  war.  Grant  frankly  and  manfully  recog- 
nized at  the  time  this  great  service,  and  bravely  said  that  the  vic- 
tory fully  vindicated  Gen.  Thomas'  judgment  as  to  the  necessity 
of  the  delay.  Had  the  Memoirs  been  equally  just  in  speaking  of 
Thomas'  services  at  this  grave  crisis,  no  cause  for  criticism  would 
exist. 

Later  in  the  Memoirs  we  find  complaints  that  Hood  was  not 
pushed  with  the  vigor  that  the  circumstances  would  warrant.  To 
this  no  better  answer  can  be  made  than  Gen.  Thomas  made  at  the 
time.  In  his  letter  to  Halleckof  December21,  1864,  hesaid:  "Gen. 
Hood's  army  is  being  pursued  as  rapidly  and  as  vigorously  as  it  is 
possible  for  one  army  to  pursue  another.  We  cannot  control 
the  elements;  and  you  must  remember,  to  resist  Hood's  advance 
into  Tennessee,  I  had  to  organize  and  almost  thoroughly  equip 
the  force  under  my  command.  I  fought  the  battle  of  the  15th 
and  16th  inst.  with  the  troops  but  partially  equipped;  and,  not- 
withstanding the  inclemency  of  the  weather  and  the  partial  equip- 
ment, have  been  enabled  to  drive  the  enemy  beyond  Duck  river, 
crossing  two  streams  with  my  troops,  and  driving  the  enemy  from 
position  to  position  without  the  aid  of  pontoons,  and  with  but 
little  transportation  to  bring  up  supplies,  provisions  and  ammu- 
nition. I  am  doing  all  in  my  power  to  crush  Hood's  army,  and 
if  possible,  will  destroy  it.  But  pursuing  an  enemy  through  an 


160  FIFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

exhausted  country,  over  mud  roads  completely  sogged  with 
heavy  rains,  is  no  child's  play,  and  cannot  be  accomplished  as 
quickly  as  thought  of.  I  hope,  in  urging  me  to  push  the  enemy, 
the  department  remembers  that  Gen.  Sherman  took  with  him 
the  complete  organization  of  the  military  division  of  the"  Missis- 
sippi, well  equipped  in  every  respect  as  regards  ammuntion,  sup- 
plies and  transportation,  leaving  me  only  two  corps,  partially 
stripped  of  their  transportation  to  accommodate  the  force  taken 
with  him,  to  oppose  the  advance  into  Tennessee  of  that  army 
which  has  resisted  the  advance  of  the  army  of  the  military  divi- 
sion of  Mississippi  on  Atlanta,  from  the  commencement  of  the 
campaign  till  its  close;  and  which  is  now  in  addition  aided  by 
Forrest's  cavalry.  Although  my  progress  may  appear  slow,  I 
feel  assured  that  Hood's  army  can  be  driven  from  Tennessee, 
and  eventually  driven  to  the  wall,  by  the  force  under  my  com- 
mand. 

But  too  much  must  not  be  expected  of  troops  which  have  to 
be  reorganized,  especially  when  they  have  the  task  of  destroying 
a  force  in  a  winter's  campaign,  which  was  able  to  make  an  ob- 
stinate resistance  to  twice  its  number  in  spring  and  summer.  In 
conclusion,  I  can  safely  state  that  this  army  is  willing  to  submit 
to  any  sacrifice  to  oust  Hood's  army,  or  to  strike  any  other  blow 
which  may  contribute  to  the  destruction  of  the  rebellion." 

This  was  Gen.  Thomas'  move  at  the  time.  If  further  answer 
is  needed,  let  the  shattered  remnants  of  Hood's  army  speak  for 
him.  Of  all  that  magnificent  army  that  defended  Atlanta,  and 
later  marched  to  Franklin  and  Nashville,  scarcely  5,000  ever 
came  together.  We  have  the  testimony  of  the  Memoirs  that 
Thomas'  movements  were  always  so  deliberate  and  so  slow, 
though  effective  in  defense.  The  enemy  can  bear  witness  to  the 
rest. 

The  Memoirs  were  written  under  stress  of  financial  embar- 
rassments, and  amidst  the  shadows  of  impending  death.  They 
are  the  recollections  of  a  dying  man.  There  was  no  time  for 
searching  records  or  gathering  data;  and  we  all  know  what  a 
treacherous  thing  is  memory  after  the  lapse  of  twenty  years.  The 
marvel  is,  not  that  they  contain  mistakes,  but  that  there  are  so 
few.  If,  in  the  light  of  the  records  which  the  author  of  those 
Memoirs  had  no  time  to  consult,  we  can  point  out  errors,  we 
would  not  do  it  in  a  spirit  of  hostility  to  him;  we  would  not  do 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  161 

it  in  a  spirit  of  unkindness,  but  merely  that  others  may  not  suffer 
from  statements  whose  only  value  comes  from  the  prestige  of  his 
great  name.  With  the  name  of  Grant  are  associated  the  proud- 
est recollections  of  the  war.  On  his  head  rests  as  a  halo  the 
wreath  of  well  earned  victory.  With  entire  loyalty  to  him;  with- 
out detracting  one  iota  from  his  great  fame,  we  would  defend  the 
memory  of  him  whom  we  trusted  as  a  leader  and  loved  as  a  father 
— Gen.  George  H.  Thomas.  In  the  religion  of  Rome  there  was 
room  for  all  the  gods  of  every  conquered  province.  In  the  Am- 
erican heart  there  is  a  place  for  all  its  honored  names. 

Here,  comrades,  my  task  is  ended,  so  far  as  your  request  is 
concerned.  Permit  me  to  add  a  few  words  more,  not  in  defense 
of  Gen.  Thomas,  but  that  through  the  mists  of  a  quarter  of  cen- 
tury we  may  catch  glimpses  of  the  greatness  of  his  services,  and 
of  the  nobility  of  his  character. 

When  the  war  began  he  was  one  of  a  remarkable  group  of 
men  constituting  the  field  officers  of  the  Second  cavalry — Col. 
Albert  Sydney  Johnson,  Lieut. -Col.  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  Majors 
Hardee  and  Thomas.  He  was  forty-five  years  of  age,  and  so  in  the 
full  vigor  of  life.  A  born  soldier,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  a 
veteran  of  twenty  years  of  active  service,  he  was  thoroughly 
equipped  for  the  impending  conflict.  It  is  not  necessary  to  re- 
count to  you  his  military  achievements,  for  were  you  not  of  the 
Army  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Cumberland?  And  is  not  his  history 
the  history  of  that  army?  He  organized  and  commanded  the 
force  that  won  our  first  important  victory  at  Mill  Spring;  and 
three  years  later,  at  Nashville,  he  destroyed  the  last  armed  op- 
position in  the  West.  During  those  three  years  men  came  and 
went,  victories  were  lost  and  won,  but  he  was  always  on  duty, 
never  made  a  mistake,  and  so  ordered  his  command  as  to  retrieve 
it  from  the  mistakes  of  others.  He  never  sought  a  command,  and 
never  shrank  from  reponsibilities.  He  had  confidence  in  him- 
self, in  his  plans,  and  in  his  men.  He  was  a  believer  in  organi- 
zation and  preparation.  He  had  the  military  instinct  to  discern 
the  weakness  of  an  enemy,  and  to  tell  him  when  and  where  and 
how  to  strike.  He  was  never  unduly  elated  or  depressed.  His 
fixity  of  purpose  and  unbending  will  was  stamped  upon  every 
line  of  his  face.  "We  will  hold  the  place  till  we  starve,"  was 
his  telegram  from  Chattanooga  to  Grant  at  Louisville.  And  yet 
this  stern  man  of  duty,  who  rarely  smiled,  was  genial  and  hu- 


162  FIFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

mane;  and  from  his  great  kindness  of  heart,  from  his  ever  watch- 
ful care,  was  known  to  all  his  "boys"  as  "Pap"  Thomas. 
Growing  in  strength  as  his  burdens  increased,  he  was  at  the  close 
of  the  war  everywhere  recognized  as  one  of  our  four  great  com- 
manders. He  was  not  ambitious.  When  ordered  to  relieve  Gen. 
Buell,  he  asked  to  have  the  order  suspended.  When  urged  to 
be  a  candidate  for  president,  he  refused.  He  never  complained. 
To  officers  who  were  overlooked  in  the  organization  of  new  regi- 
ments in  the  regular  army,  he  said:  "I  have  taken  great  pains 
to  educate  myself  not  to  feel;"  and  though  his  sensitive  soul  must 
have  often  suffered  from  injustice  and  neglect,  he  was  as  silent 
then  as  now.  He  served  without  a  murmur  under  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  his  junior,  and  gave  to  him  the  most  loyal  support.  He 
never  boasted,  nor  was  he  jealous  of  the  success  of  others.  He 
never  asked  a  favor  for  himself,  and  he  never  lobbied  for  himself 
or  friends.  He  declined  a  sum  of  money  about  to  be  raised  for 
him  by  friends  in  Cincinnati,  and  proposed  that  it  be  given  to 
the  widows  and  orphans  of  soldiers.  He  was  not  a  member  of 
any  church;  but  from  his  Welsh  father  and  Huguenot  mother  he 
inherited  a  firm  belief  in  an  overruling  providence,  and  in  those 
great  truths  of  Christianity  that  underlie  all  the  churches.  He 
enjoyed  stories,  and  if  of  the  proper  kind  would  listen  to  them 
for  hours,  but  rarely  told  one.  In  his  thoughts  and  actions  he 
was  as  pure  and  modest  as  a  girl.  This  commander  of  ours,  so 
great  in  his  simple  modesty,  so  great  in  his  honesty  and  human- 
ity, so  great  in  all  the  elements  of  a  successful  soldier,  was  great 
also  in  his  loyalty.  Born  in  Virginia,  he  was  one  of  the  few  offi- 
cers of  the  regular  army  from  the  South  who  remained  true  to 
the  Union.  What  it  cost  him  cannot  be  measured  by  our  poor 
experiences.  To  him  it  meant  the  sacrifice  of  the  associations 
of  a  lifetime,  of  the  ties  of  kindred  and  of  home;  and  to  this  day 
he  is,  throughout  the  South,  regarded  as  a  traitor  to  his  state. 
For  this,  if  for  no  other  reason,  his  name  should  be  remembered 
lovingly  to  the  latest  generations. 

In  June,  1869,  Gen.  Thomas  arrived  in  San  Francisco  and 
took  command  of  the  department  of  the  Pacific.  It  was  his  last 
assignment.  On  March  28,  1870,  at  noon,  he  was  attacked 
while  in  his  office  with  fainting,  was  not  conscious  after  3:00 
o'clock,  and  at  7:15  p.  m.  he  died.  His  body  was  borne  by  lov- 
ing hands  across  a  continent  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where,  eighteen 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  163 

years  before,  he  was  married;  and  on  April  8th,  under  bright 
skies  and  amidst  the  newly  awakening  life  of  spring,  he  was  for- 
ever laid  at  rest. 

Standing  on  the  Pacific's  shore  and  looking  out  through  the 
Golden  Gate  to  the  West  we  see  the  East.  We  look  across  the 
ocean  where  the  new  and  the  old  come  together,  where  the  days 
with  the  meridians  meet,  where  time  and  eternity  seem  one  on 
its  ever  changing,  ever  changeless  waters.  From  that  shore,  on 
that  March  evening  eighteen  years  ago,  the  spirit  of  our  old  com- 
mander passed  through  other  Golden  Gates  to  other  shores, 
where,  on  the  peaceful  waters  of  God's  eternal  love,  all  things 
are  ever  new,  the  days  are  a  perpetual  morning,  and  time  and  its 
mutations  are  unknown. 


Proceedings  Sixth  Reunion 

August  27,  1590,  Oregon,   Illinois 

PRESENT  79. 


BUSINESS    MEETING. 

The  members  of  Co.  G  assembled  at  Oregon,  111.,  at  12:00 
m.,  August  27,  1890,  and  marched  to  the  depot  to  receive  the 
members  of  the  regiment  and  the  ladies  from  Rockford.  The  / 
regiment  formed  in  line  and  marched  to  the  M.  E.  church  for 
dinner,  under  command  of  the  President,  Jos.  F.  Hawthorne. 
After  dinner  the  regiment  formed  in  line  under  command  of  the 
President  and  marched  to  the  fair  grounds. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  President  Hawthorne. 
Address  of  welcome  by  Franc  Bacon,  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Ore- 
gon. Response  by  John  H.  Sherratt,  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Rock- 
ford.  Upon  motion  of  comrade  John  H.  Sherratt,  comrade  Robt. 
Simpson  passed  the  hat,  and  was  directed  to  pass  by  Co.  G,  to 
raise  money  to  defray  the  expenses  of  publishing  the  proceedings 
of  the  fifth  and  sixth  annual  reunions  of  the  Seventy-fourth  regi- 
ment Illinois  Volunteers.  Carried. 

Upon  motion  of  comrade  Sanders  it  was  resolved  that  the 
Seventy-fourth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers  hold  their  annual  re- 
union at  Rockford,  111.,  September  4,  1891,  and  that  the  officers 
electcorrespondwith  the  officers  of  the  Ninety-second,  Ninety-fifth 
and  Ninety-sixth  regiments  Illinois  Volunteers,  on  the  propriety 
of  holding  a  joint  reunion  in  1891  at  Rockford,  111.  Carried. 


166  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

Upon  motion,  the  following  comrades  were  duly  elected  of- 
ficers for  the  ensuing  year: 

JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,  President. 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

J.   S.   Cowan Company  A 

B.   W.    Wallace "         B 

James    Oliver "          C 

John  Betson "         D 

Chas.   Wilmarth «          E 

Floyd  Smith t       "         F 

John  Killey *       «         G 

Geo.  A.  Hurd "         H 

F.   W.   Fuller J 

H.   B.   Utter K 

M.  S.  PARMELE,   Secretary. 
THOS.  COLE,   Treasurer. 

Upon  motion  of  comrade  M.  S.  Parmele,  comrades  John  H. 
Sherratt,  Hosmer  P.  Holland  and  Jos.  F.  Hawthorne,  were 
elected  a  committee  of  three  to  secure  historian  for  the  ensuing 
year  1891.  Carried. 

Upon  motion  of  comrade  John  H.  Sherratt,  a  vote  of  thanks 
of  the  regiment  to  Co.  G  and  the  ladies  for  their  hospitality  in 
entertaining  the  regiment  while  at  Oregon,  111.  Carried. 

Upon  motion,  the  regiment  adjourned  to  meet  at  Rockford, 
111.,  on  September  4,  1891.  Carried. 


ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME. 

BY     FRANC    BACON,    MAYOR    OF   OREGON,    ILL. 

Mr.  President:  It  is  indeed  a  pleasure,  personal  and  official, 
to  offer  you  the  hospitalities  of  our  city,  and  for  a  second  time 
the  citizens  of  Oregon  gladly  welcome  you  to  their  midst. 

You  are  but  a  scanty  remnant  of  that  thousand  or  more  who, 
a  little  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  laid  aside  their  personal 
affairs,  and  dedicated  their  lives  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebel- 
lion, and  gave  us  national  unity,  internal  peace,  and  th6  condi- 
tions requisite  to  allow  every  man  to  win  happiness  and  prosper- 
ity. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  167 

From  that  greatest  of  all  internecine  war  but  three  hundred 
and  forty-three  of  you,  men  and  officers,  were  permitted  to  re- 
turn. Mission  Ridge,  Rocky  Face,  Resaca,  Adairsville,  Dallas, 
Smyrna,  .Lost  Mountain,  Liberty  Gap,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlan- 
ta, Jonesborough,  Columbia,  Franklin,  Nashville,  and  the  dead- 
liest of  all,  the  assault  on  Kenesaw,  where  your  loss  was  thirty- 
one  percent.,  tell  the  story  of  your  great  loss. 

The  pleasures  of  your  meeting  here  to-day  will  no  doubt  be 
tempered  and  saddened  by  the  thought  that  since  you  were  last 
here  a  number  of  your  regiment  who  answered  to  your  roll  call 
are  not  with  you.  Death  has  again  invaded  your  ranks  and  re- 
moved from  your  little  circle  some  of  your  cherished  comrades. 
Disease  has  laid  hold  of  others,  who,  while  physically  incapa- 
citated from  personal  attendance,  are  with  you  in  thought  and 
spirit.  It  may  be  that  unkindly  fate,  poverty,  prevents  others 
from  answering  "present."  If  that  be  true  in  any  case,  and  up- 
on being  made  known  to  you,  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  you  will 
extend  relief  with  the  same  ready  hand  and  open  heart  that  has 
always  characterized  your  fraternal  treatment  of  one  another. 

Compared  with  others,  our  nation  has  been  generous  in  its 
treatment  of  its  soldiers,  yet  there  is  much  that  should  be  done 
to  alleviate  the  troubles  and  misfortunes  of  its  old  defenders. 
And  it  should  be  done  speedily  and  without  opposition.  What 
is  done  for  one  is  done  for  all,  for  ours  is  "a  government  of  the 
people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  people."  Let  the  good  work 
progress,  so  that  never  again  shall  it  be  said  that  a  single  soldier 
is  prevented  from  attending  the  reunion  of  his  regiment  because 
of  want  or  lack  of  means  to  do  so. 

Rest  assured  that  your  struggles  and  sacrifices  are  appreci- 
ated by  all  loyal,  law-abiding  citizens  of  this  great  republic. 
And  know,  too,  that  we  realize  that  all  the  lavish  expenditure  of 
blood  and  treasure  during  the  period  from  1861  to  1865  was  not 
the  result  of  chance.  The  war  was  no  accident,  it  was  inevitable. 
It  had  come  as  surely  and  certainly  as  that  sickness  must  follow 
the  impregnation  of  the  human  system  with  the  germs  of  disease. 

The  seeming  great  waste  of  human  life  was  necessary  in  or- 
der that  the  republic,  as  a  republic,  might  live.  And  to  accom- 
plish that  end  your  health,  lives  and  property  were  offered,  not 
in  the  spirit  that  the  eastern  sun  worshipper  burns  incense  or  in- 
flicts self  punishment  in  the  hope  of  appeasing  the  fancied  wrath 


168  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

of  his  wooden  God,  but  in  the  broader  sense  that  a  perpetuation 
of  the  government  of  Washington,  Jefferson,  Adams,  Clay  and 
Webster  demanded  that  the  stain  of  human  slavery  should  be 
wiped  from  the  institutions  of  that  nation  by  the  life-blood,  if 
necessary,  of  its  patriotic  and  chivalrous  citizen  soldiery. 

You  may  well  feel  proud  of  your  record  made  in  that  great 
struggle.  Not  that  the  pages  of  history  accord  you  great  space 
or  lavish  mention,  but  rather  tell  the  simple,  noble,  and  most 
glorious  story,  that,  like  Cincinnatus  of  old,  you  put  aside  the 
plow  and  buckled  on  the  sword  in  defense  of  human  right  and 
freedom. 

Among  the  cherished  mementoes  of  the  war  stored  at  our 
state  capitol  is  the  first  flag  borne  by  your  regiment.  Its  tatter- 
ed folds  and  powder-begrimed  appearance  bear  testimony  unim- 
peachable of  its  and  your  presence  "amidst  the  din  and  havoc 
of  stern  war." 

Your  second  flag  was  baptized  at  Missionary  Ridge,  and  its 
thirteen  cannon  and  bullet  holes  speak  in  no  uncertain  manner 
of  the  dangers  that  day  incurred  and  braved  by  you.  If  the  la- 
mented Sheridan  had  never  written  his  "Memoirs"  and  taken 
occasion  to  say,  as  he  did  say,  that  yours  was  one  of  the  first  on 
the  crest  of  the  Ridge  that  day,  still  you  have  a  witness  in  that 
tattered  flag,  that  like  the  masterpiece  of  sculpture  and  painting 
convey  to  posterity  the  imperishable  deeds  of  your  renown. 

These  flags,  rent  and  bathed  in  patriotic  life-blood,  like  the 
toga  of  the  great  Caesar,  will,  with  tongues  of  eloquence,  awake 
in  the  breasts  of  future  generations,  the  warmest  passions  of  love, 
gratitude  and  admiration  for  those  who  bore  them  in  battle. 

You  have  the  proud  satisfaction  of  living  to  see  the  day 
that  witnesses  the  happy  fruits  of  victory;  and  to  realize  that 
the  vast  and  varied  resources  of  our  country,  its  present  wealth 
and  prosperity,  and  unparalleled  prospects  of  future  greatness, 
secured  by  your  efforts,  and  to  be  enjoyed  forever  by  the  reunited 
people  of  one  great  nation,  undivisible  and  inseparable,  are  the 
priceless  boon  of  the  untold  sacrifices  of  the  loyal  men  and 
women  of  this  country,  and  that  the  valor  of  the  old  Seventy- 
fourth  contributed  in  no  small  degree  in  bringing  about  these 
glorious  results.  It  is  but  human  nature  that  when  I  think  that 
he  to  whom  I  owe  my  existence  was  one  of  your  number,  and 
was  one  of  those  who,  in  the  inscrutable  ways  of  Divine  Provi- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  169 

dence,  laid  down  his  life  that  his  nation  might  live  intact,  my 
heart  should  ever  respond  to  the  warmest  emotions  of  pride  and 
glory  in  the  unsullied  history  of  the  Seventy-fourth  regiment. 

In  closing,  allow  me  again  to  indulge  in  the  hope  and  wish, 
seconded  by  all  the  people  of  our  little  city,  that  at  no  distant 
day  you  will  again  favor  us  with  your  presence  in  undiminished 
numbers. 


RESPONSE. 

BY  JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,  MAYOR  OF  ROCKFORD,  ILL. 

Mr,  Mayor,  Ladies  and  Comrades:  This  is  our  second  reunion 
in  Oregon.  Four  years  ago  we  were  here,  then  as  now,  the 
guests  of  our  old  comrades  of  Co.  G,  of  their  neighbors  and 
friends;  and  our  reception  was  so  cordial,  the  commissariat 
so  overflowing,  that  we  have  been  trying  to  get  back  here  ever 
since. 

It  was  a  peculiarity  of  the  members  of  Co.  G,  (and  age,  I  see, 
has  only  confirmed  them  in  their  sins)  that  if  there  was  anything 
worth  having  they  would  have  it.  We  of  Co.  K,  their  nearest 
neighbors,  often  had  occasion  to  remark  this. 

They  were  very  much  interested  in  us,  and  there  was  so 
much  in  their  surroundings  to  remind  us  of  what  we  had  lost,  and 
so  much  that  ,wore  to  us  a  familiar  look,  that  it  was  almost  like 
going  home  to  visit  them.  We  have  that  feeling  now,  only  that 
it  is  heightened  by  the  knowledge  that  in  accepting  their  hos- 
pitality we  are  not  devouring  our  own  substance. 

Meeting,  as  we  do,  at  the  home  of  those  old  comrades  of 
Co.  G,  a  company  that  always  did  its  full  share  to  make  glorious 
the  record  of  our  regiment;  meeting,  as  we  do,  at  the  home  of 
that  company's  heroic  and  chivalric  captain,  Bowman  W.  Bacon, 
whom  we  all  honored  and  loved;  meeting,  as  we  do,  in  a  city  and 
in  a  county  that  stood  second  to  none  in  its  devotion  to  the  Union, 
and  in  its  sacrifices  to  maintain  it,  we  know  that  we  are  welcome, 
and  gratefully  accept  the  hospitalities  so  freely  offered.  We  may 
fail  in  words,  but  we  cannot  fail  in  our  hearts  to  respond  to  the 
reception  accorded  us  to-day;  to  the  eloquent  address  of  wel- 
come by  your  worthy  mayor,  and  to  the  fine  tribute  he  has  paid 
to  the  services  of  this  regiment.  Our  regiment  needs  no  higher 
praise  than  this — that  its  record  was  a  highly  honorable  one  in 


170  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

that  grand  army  of  which  it  was  a  part.  In  that  army  there  was 
a  standard  of  excellence  never  higher  since  armies  were  muster- 
ed among  men.  This  has  become  a  matter  of  undisputed  his- 
tory, and  we  would  not  enlarge  upon  it.  We  lived  to  see  that 
army  victorious;  and  we  have  lived  to  see  our  cause  vindicated 
by  the  results.  Even  those  against  whom  we  fought  are  glad  we 
won,  and  would  not  now  change  the  verdict  rendered  at  Appo- 
matox  if  they  could. 

What  has  not  been  referred  to,  but  what  we  would  not  for- 
get up  on  occasions  like  this,  are  the  motives  and  services  of  that 
larger  band  of  patriots,  the  loyal  people  of  the  North,  who,  un- 
able to  go  to  the  front,  did  their  full  duty  at  home. 

They  upheld  the  hands  of  the  government.  They  provided 
it  with  the  sinews  of  war.  They  sustained  us  in  the  field.  They 
wrote  us  letters  of  encouragement,  of  hope  and  of  love.  They 
did  at  home  their  work  and  ours;  and  when  the  war  was  over, 
welcomed  us  back  again.  The  father  or  mother  who  would  not 
say  "stay"  to  an  only  son;  the  wife  who  could  blot  the  sun  from 
out  her  sky  and  say  "go"  to  a  loving  husband,  lived  upon  a  high- 
er plane  of  duty  than  we. 

Ogle  county  was  full  of  such  men  and  women.  The  most 
of  them  have  gone  to  their  reward,  but  some  of  them  are  here  to- 
day; and  to  all  of  them,  living  and  dead,  the  country  owes  a 
debt  it  can  never  repay. 

Comrades,  a  few  words  more  personal  to  ourselves  and  I 
am  done.  From  time  to  time  since  the  close  of  the  war,  pension 
laws,  gradually  increasing  in  liberality,  have  been  passed  by 
congress.  All  of  them,  until  the  recent  enactment,  have  pro- 
ceeded on  the  theory  that  the  government  should  provide  for 
those  who  were  disabled  by  wounds  received,  or  disease  con- 
tracted in  the  line  of  duty;  and,  in  case  of  their  death,  for  those 
dependent  upon  them. 

Certainly  no  one  whose  heart  was  with  us  in  the  late  con- 
test could  object  to  this.  Had  the  government,  with  its  over- 
flowing coffers,  done  less,  it  would  have  been  unworthy  of  those 
who  followed  its  flag,  and  forever  unworthy  of  those  who  died 
for  it. 

Recently,  however,  the  bounty  of  the  government  has  been 
extended  to  every  honorably  discharged  soldier  who  served  ninety 
days  and  is  now  incapacitated,  mentally  or  physically,  except 


SEVENTY- FOURTH  ILL.  REGIMENT.  171 

from  his  own  vicious  habits,  whether  it  originated  in  the  service 
or  not.  It  is  estimated  that  this  will  increase  the  cost  of  pen- 
sions more  than  one-half,  and  raise  the  annual  outlay  on  that  ac- 
count to  more  than  $150,000,000,  or  $2.50  for  each  man,  woman 
and  child  in  this  country.  Has  not  the  time  come  to  call  a  halt; 
and  if  so,  should  not  we,  who  would  be  the  beneficiaries  of  future 
legislation,  be  the  ones  to  do  it? 

It  is  a  delicate  matter  for  one  who  has  not  been  a  soldier  to 
speak  of;  many  keep  silent  lest  their  motives  be  misconstrued. 
Already  some  of  our  friends  have  been  alienated,  friends  who 
have  been  with  us  from  the  first  tap  of  the  drum  till  now.  Can 
we  afford  this  ?  Is  there  not  great  danger,  if  the  matter  is  push- 
ed further,  that  the  whole  system  will  break  down  of  its  own 
weight,  and  that  those  who  are  already  provided  for  will  be  in. 
eluded  in  the  catastrophe?  Do  we  care  to  take  the  risk  ?  There 
is  a  limit  beyond  which  we  cannot  safely  go;  and  is  not  that 
limit  reached  when  nearly  one-half  of  the  total  revenues  of  the 
government  is  taken  for  this  purpose?  It  is  said  that  republics 
are  ungrateful,  but  never  again  can  that  be  said  of  one  republic 
at  least. 

We  served  our  country  in  no  mercenary  spirit.  Having 
saved  it,  we  demanded  that  it  care  for  its  wounded,  its  widows 
and  its  orphans,  and  for  those  unable  to  longer  care  for  them- 
selves. This  it  has  done,  and  let  us  stop  right  there. 


THE   ATLANTA  CAMPAIGN. 

BY  ANDREW  J.    POTTER. 
READ  AT  SIXTH  REUNION,  OREGON,  ILL.,  AUGUST  27,  1890. 

The  success  of  Maj.-Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  in  1863,  in  securing 
the  surrender  of  Vicksburg  and  the  rebel  army  defending  it,  and 
later  in  the  decisive  victory  at  Chattanooga,  showed  what  might 
be  accomplished  by  a  concentration  of  a  sufficient  force  under  an 
officer  who  was,  without  interference  from  Washington,  able  to 
handle  it  in  his  own  way  and  time. 

On  Gen.  Grant  being  appointed  Lieutenant-General,  and  to 
the  command  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  a  new  era  dawn- 
ed on  the  course  of  the  rebellion.  Every  effort  was  put  forth 


172  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

during  the  winter  of  1863-4  to  concentrate  means  and  men  to 
prosecute  a  vigorous  and  final  campaign  against  the  rebel  armies. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  forces  it  was  decided  that  Gen. 
Grant  should,  in  addition  to  supervision  of  all  the  United  States 
forces,  have  his  immediate  headquarters  with  the  army  in  the  field 
in  Virginia,  making  Lee's  army  his  objective;  while  Major-Gen. 
William  Tecumseh  Sherman  should  command  the  division  of  the 
Mississippi,  having  in  view  the  destruction  of  the  rebel  army 
under  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  then  in  command  at  Dalton, 
Ga.,  some  thirty  miles  south  of  Chattanooga,  Tenn. ,  where  would 
be  the  base  of  supplies  of  the  Union  army  during  the  ensuing 
campaign. 

Gen.  Johnston's  command  included  the  territory  east  of  the 
Mississippi  river  to  the  Atlantic;  and  although  during  the  winter 
in  question  he  had  only  in  the  neighborhood  of  35,000  troops  at 
Dalton,  yet  by  the  time  the  campaign  opened  he  had.  at  Resaca 
about  70,000  men,  having  called  in  from  all  parts  of  his  depart- 
ment nearly  all  available  troops. 

To  compass  the  destruction  of  this  force  Gen.  Sherman  had 
a  force  consisting  of  the  Twenty-third  corps,  Army  of  the  Ohio, 
under  Maj.-Gen.  John  M.  Schofield,  14,000  men;  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland,  Fourth,  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  corps;  60,- 
000  men,  under  Maj.-Gen.  George  H.  Thomas;  and  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee,  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  corps, 
25,000  men,  under  Maj.-Gen.  James  B.  McPherson,  the  latter 
two  each  consisting  of  but  two  divisions,  and  the  Seventeenth 
corps  not  joining  until  June.  One  division  each  of  the  Sixteenth 
and  Seventeenth  corps  were  on  the  Mississippi  under  Maj.-Gen. 
Smith,  engaged  under  Banks  in  what  was  known  as  the  Red 
river  expedition,  and  were  prevented  from  ever  joining  Sherman's 
army  in  Georgia.  Gen.  Sherman  thus  had,  on  entering  the  cam- 
paign on  the  7th  of  May,  a  grand  aggregate  of  100,000  men  and 
254  pieces  of  artillery. 

On  the  2nd  of  May  the  Seventy-fourth  regiment  joined  the 
brigade  from  which  it  had  been  detached  since  arrival  at  Knox- 
ville  during  the  1st  of  the  previous  December.  On  the  3rd,  the 
command  moved  from  Cleveland,  Tenn.,  to  Catoosa  Springs, 
Ga. ,  where  the  Fourth,  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  corps  were 
assembled.  On  the  7th,  the  entire  army  moved  toward  Dalton, 
where  the  enemy  was  found  in  position  on  Rocky  Face  Ridge, 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  173 

covering  the  direct  road  through  Buzzard  Roost  Gap.  The 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  closed  up  on  the  rebel  front  while  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee  worked  down  the  valley  on  the  right,  and 
the  Army  of  the  Ohio  flanked  Rocky  Face  on  the  left,  coming  in 
from  Cleveland  on  the  north. 

On -the  9th,  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  moved  through 
Snake  Creek  Gap  in  front  of  Resaca;  but,  contrary  to  instruc- 
tions, instead  of  attacking  the  small  force  covering  the  town  and 
bridges,  and  probably  cuttingjohnston's  line  of  cummunication, 
and  forcing  him  towards  the  east  of  the  railroad  track,  fell  back 
and  intrenched  in  Snake  Creek  Gap.  McPherson  was  rapidly 
reinforced  by  the  Twentieth,  Twenty-third  and  Fourteenth  corps, 
but  it  was  too  late.  Gen.  Sherman  remarked  to  him:  "I  fear, 
Mac,  that  you  have  missed  the  opportunity  of  your  life." 

The  Fourth  corps  had  been  holding  Rocky  Face,  and  when 
on  the  moving  of  the  Thirteenth  we  found  Johnston  gone,  we 
moved  directly  to  and  through  Dalton,  our  brigade,  the  First,  of 
second  division,  fourth  corps,  being  in  advance. 

On  the  14th,  the  army  closed  up  on  Johnston,  forming 
an  intrenched  line  on  his  front  from  the  river,  the  Ostanaula, 
above  to  the  same  stream  below  Resaca.  The  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee again  advanced,  so  that  their  artillery  could  reach  the  vil- 
lage and  bridges. 

On  the  15th,  Sweeney's  division  of  the  Sixteenth  corps  was 
threatening  to  cross  the  river  at  Lay's  Ferry,  some  miles  below, 
and  within  reach  of  the  railroad  at  Calhoun.  Also  preparations 
were  under  way  to  cross  at  a  point  on  our  extreme  left  above  the 
town. 

The  result  of  these  demonstrations  was  that  on  the  morning 
of  the  16th  there  was  no  enemy  in  our  front. 

On  the  14th  we  met  with  our  first  loss,  having  three  killed 
and  fifteen  wounded;  and  the  next  day  our  loss  was  one  killed 
and  seven  wounded.  Some  of  the  wounded  may  have  been 
mortal,  the  figures  being  taken  from  a  diary  written  on  the  even- 
ing of  each  day. 

On  the  17th  we  found  the  rebel  army  once  more  near  Adairs- 
ville,  with  a  loss  to  the  regiment  of  one  killed  and  thirty  wound- 
ed. 

The  Army  of  the  Cumberland  had  position  in  the  center  fol- 
lowing the  main  wagon  road,  while  that  of  the  Ohio  was  on  a 


174  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

parallel  road  to  the  east,  and  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  to  the 
west  on  similar  roads. 

Johnston  halted  at  and  near  Adairsville  with  intention  of 
giving  battle,  but  owing  to  our  front  being  so  extended  as  to 
flank  him,  and  partly  to  disagreements  among  and  with  his  corps 
commanders,  he  again  moved  to  his  rear  during  the  night  of  the 
17th,  taking  a  position  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cassville  and 
Kingston,  prepared  to  offer  battle,  but  on  the  evening  of  the  19th 
Lieut. -Generals  Polk  and  Hood,  two  of  his  corps  commanders, 
claimed  that  the  skirmishing  during  the  day  proved  that  their 
lines  were  enfiladed  by  our  artillery,  and  they  deemed  it  impos- 
sible to  hold  their  positions  under  such  circumstances;  as  a  con- 
sequence, that  night  Johnston  fell  back  behind  the  Etowa  River 
and  the  hills  about  Allatoona. 

On  the  23d  began  the  movement  of  the  whole  army  to  the 
right,  aiming  to  strike  Dallas,  from  which  a  number  of  the  coun- 
try roads  radiated,  and  flank  Johnston  from  his  Allatoona  posi- 
tion. 

On  the  25th,  Geary's  division,  Twentieth  corps,  became  en- 
gaged in  front  of  New  Hope  church,  having  skirmished  from  the 
crossing  of  Pumpkin  Creek. 

This  was  the  first  opportunity  that  we  as  a  regiment  had 
ever  had  to  see  the  rear  of  an  army  while  engaged,  and  the 
sights  were  certainly  not  inspiriting.  One  could  but  wonder  if 
it  were  a  necessity  to  have  so  many  bands,  drum  corps  and  cooks, 
as  the  road  was  lined  with  them;  and  also  if  it  required  two  men 
to  help  off  the  field  one  with  a  broken  finger,  how  many  assist- 
ants would  be  necessary  if  his  head  were  gone  ? 

On  the  next  evening  we  moved  to  the  immediate  front,  throw- 
ing up  works  in  support  of  the  skirmishers;  and  thus  began  a 
ten  days'  course  of  building  up  breast  works  and  skirmishing. 
Being  at  all  times  under  fire  it  was  decidedly  unsafe  to  expose 
any  portion  of  one's  body  above  the  works.  The  skirmishing 
was  not  confined  to  shooting  at  Johnnies  by  any  means. 

In  the  meantime  Sherman  was  extending  his  lines  to  the 
right  and  left,  Wood's  division,  Fourth  corps,  having  a  severe 
battle  at  Picket's  Mills,  and  Sweeney's  division,  Sixteenth  corps, 
being  heavily  engaged  on  the  right  near  Dallas.  In  order  to  con- 
front Sherman  at  Dallas,  Johnston  was  obliged  to  lose  his  hold 
on  the  railroad  at  Allatoona;  and  while  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  175 

land  was  holding  the  rebels  at  New  Hope,  the  balance  of  the 
forces  was  transferred  to  the  left,  finally  striking  and  holding  the 
railroad  at  Ackworth.  Johnston  evacuated  his  works  on  the 
night  of  June  4th,  falling  back  to  Kenesaw  Mountain  as  his 
right,  and  holding  Pine  and  Lost  Mountains.  The  loss  of  the 
regiment  during  the  ten  days  was  five  killed  and  nine  wounded, 
showing  that  we  were  very  close  up  to  the  rebel  works  all  the 
time.  Loss  during  May,  ten  killed  and  sixty  wounded. 

The  Union  forces  advanced  nearly  one  hundred  miles  during 
the  month,  with  an  aggregate  loss  of  1,863  killed  and  missing, 
and  7,436  wounded;  total  loss,  9,299.  The  three  armies  had 
started  on  the^campaign  with  an  aggregate  of  100,000  men;  and 
on  June  1st,  by  the  return  of  veterans  and  arrival  of  two  divisions 
of  the  Seventeenth  corps  and  new  regiments,  still  preserved  the 
same  force,  and  it  was  understood  that  the  rebels  had  received 
reinforcements  sufficient  to  make  good  their  losses  during  the 
month. 

By  June  10th  the  armies  had  worked  close  up  to  the  enemy, 
and  had  their  intrenchments  paralleled;  and  from  that  date,  for 
the  rest  of  the  month,  it  was  a  continual  skirmish,  Sherman's 
object  being  to  work  to  the  right,  and,  flanking,  compel  the  ene- 
my to  draw  in  his  left  until  he  exposed  the  railroad  between 
Marietta  and  Atlanta.  He  desisted  from  this  purpose  only, 
when,  on  the  27th  of  June,  he  ordered  an  attack  on  the  rebel 
works,  in  which  attack  this  regiment  suffered  the  severest  pro- 
portionate loss  in  its  history.  The  second  division,  Fourteenth 
corps,  charged  in  front  of  Kenesaw;  Harrow's  division  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee  attacked  with  a  loss  of  500,  while  the 
two  divisons  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  lost  1,580  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing  in  about  an  equal  division. 

The  second  brigade  of  our  division  charged  in  close  column 
by  division  closed  in  mass  at  first  division,  one  regiment  follow- 
ing another,  and  failed  to  reach  the  rebel  works.  While  they 
yet  lay  on  the  field,  the  First  brigade,  which  lay  in  support  en  cs- 
chelon,  was  ordered  forward  and  succeeded  in  its  attempt  no 
better. 

The  dead  and  wounded  of  both  brigades  being  mingled,  the 
Third  brigade  charged  farther  to  the  right,  and  met  with  an  equal- 
ly bloody  repulse. 

The  regiment's  loss  was  eighteen  killed,  thirty-nine  wounded 


176  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

and  six  missing  prisoners.  Among  our  loss  were  Lieut. -Col. 
Kerr,  CaptainsButtolph, Barker,  Baconand  Stegner  killed  or  mor- 
tally wounded,  and  Adjutant  Neiman  wounded;  and  here  it  was 
that,  when  ordered  to  fall  back,  the  color  sergeant,  John  Wilson, 
Co.  G,  being  mortally  wounded,  color  corporal  John  G.  Waldie 
seized  the  colors,  and  though  but  a  very  few  yards  from  the 
rebels,  and  they  clamoring  for  the  "damned  Yankee  to  bring  in 
them  colors,"  halted  long  enough  to  politely  request  them  to  "go 
to  hell,"  and  carried  them  safely  back  to  the  works,  thereby  sav- 
ing the  pride  and  good  name  of  the  regiment.  All  honor  to 
John  G.  Waldit ! 

The  first  half  of  the  month  was  a  continual  rainstorm,  and 
progress  in  any  direction  was  almost  impossible.  It  was  not  un- 
til the  very  last  of  the  month  that  Sherman  concluded  to  cut  en- 
tirely loose  from  the  railroad  and  swing  around  Johnston's  left, 
landing  on  the  railroad  at  his  rear,  and  near  the  Chattahooche 
river.  The  movement  was  commenced  on  July  2d  by  McPher- 
son  withdrawing  from  his  lines  on  the  left  and  moving  toward  the 
right,  the  result  of  which  was  that  Johnston  that  night  withdrew 
from  Kenesaw  to  Smyrna  camp  grounds.  The  results  of  the 
month's  operations  were  not  satisfactory,  in  point  of  territory 
gained,  as  had  been  the  month  previous.  The  loss  of  the  regi- 
ment during  June  was  twenty  killed,  sixty  wounded,  and  six 
missing  prisoners.  Sherman's  entire  loss,  killed  and  missing, 
1,790,  wounded,  5,740;  total  7,530. 

July  4th  the  regiment  lost  seven  wounded  on  the  skirmish 
line,  and  that  night  Johnston  again  withdrew  from  our  front, 
crossing  two  corps  to  the  south-east  side  of  the  Chattahoochee, 
and  fortifying  Hardee's  corps  to  hold  the  bridges. 

On  the  9th,  the  division  went  up  the  river,  crossing  at  Ros- 
well  and  fortifying,  while  other  troops  built  a  bridge  where  we 
had  forded.  We  returned  to  Vining's  Station  the  12th,  on  being 
relieved  by  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  Moving  again  the  13th, 
we  crossed  the  river  atPaice's  Ferry  on  pontoons.  After  the  en- 
tire army  had  crossed  to  the  south-east  banks,  the  movement  on 
Atlanta  began  as  a  grand  right  wheel,  the  Fourteenth  corps  form- 
ing the  pivot  resting  on  the  junction  of  Nancy's  and  Peach  Tree 
Creeks.  Next  came  the  Twentieth  corps,  then  the  Fourth,  next 
the  Twenty-third,  and  swinging  out  to  and  through  Decatur  was 
the  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  corps. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  177 

Johnston  held  a  line  covering  the  river  bridges,  and  thence 
along  the  Atlanta  side  of  Peach  Tree  Creek;  but  on  the  17th  a 
change  in  command  had  taken  place  in  the  rebel  army,  Hood 
succeeding  Johnston;  and  by  the  Union  commanders  a  change 
of  policy  was  looked  for  from  their  knowledge  of  the  personality 
of  the  two  men. 

On  the  morning  of  the  20th,  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
was  across  Peach  Tree  Creek,  with  the  exception  of  the  First  and 
Third  divisions  of  the  Fourth  corps,  Stanley  and  Wood. 

They  were  trying  to  fill  the  gap  of  two  miles  between 
the  Buckhead  and  Atlanta  bridges  and  the  right  of  the 
Army  of  the  Ohio.  About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  Hood 
suddenly  advanced  two  corps,  having  massed  all  his  available 
force,  intending  to  strike  the  gap  mentioned  as  being  partially 
occupied  by  Stanley  and  Wood,  and  also  hoping  to  catch  the 
Union  troops  in  the  confusion  of  crossing  a  small  but  deep 
stream.  The  result  was  that  Newton's  division,  Fourth  corps, 
repulsed  a  rebel  force  of  three  divisions,  while  the  whole  front  of 
the  Twentieth  corps  were  hotly  engaged,  and  after  desperate 
fighting  repulsed  Hood's  attack. 

On  being  repulsed,  the  rebels  withdrew  within  an  elaborate 
line  of  works  built  some  months  previously  by  impressed 
negroes. 

On  the  21st  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  worked  their  way 
up  to  and  invested  these  works,  throwing  up  intrenchments  from 
west  of  the  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta  railroad,  around  to  and  con- 
necting with  Gen.  Schofield's  Twenty-third  corps.  But  Hood 
was  not  discouraged  by  his  failure  of  the  20th,  and  on  the  22nd, 
while  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  was  getting  position,  he  attack- 
ed again  with  his  old  corps  and  part  of  Hardee's.  In  this  en- 
gagement Maj.-Gen.  James  B.  McPherson,  commanding  Army 
of  the  Tennessee,  was  killed.  This  battle,  known  as  the  battle 
of  Atlanta,  was  the  hardest  fought,  and  on  the  most  extended 
scale,  of  the  campaign,  and  resulted  in  the  rebels  returning  to 
the  works  around  Atlanta  a  whipped  army. 

The  next  week  was  spent  in  building  works  as  close  to  the 
rebels  as  possible  and  repairing  the  railroad,  including  re- 
building the  bridge  over  the  Chattahoochee  which  Johnston  had 
destroyed.  And  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  one  can  almost  say 
with  truth  that  during  the  entire  campaign  the  locomotive  kept 


178  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

pace  with  the  skirmish  line;  and  notwithstanding  many  tempo- 
rary breaks  of  the  railroad  line,  never  were  we  without  our  ra- 
tions and  a  sufficiency  of  quartermaster  supplies,  to  say  nothing 
of  ammunition. 

On  the  27th  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  moved  from  the  ex- 
treme left  to  the  extreme  right,  and  on  the  28th,  while  getting 
positions  to  extend  the  Union  lines  to  the  right  toward  the  rail- 
roads leading  south  of  Atlanta,  were  again  furiously  attacked, 
and  again  did  they  repulse  the  enemy.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that 
during  the  month  of  July  the  Union  army  had,  in  the  face  of  a 
strong  and  well-officered  opponent,  crossed  a  difficult  river,  been 
attacked  and  whipped  him  in  three  separate  and  severe  engage- 
ments, and  now  had  him  invested  in  the  city,  the  possession  of 
which,  on  our  part,  had  become  the  object  of  the  campaign. 
Hood's  only  railroad  communication  was  to  the  south  and  south- 
west, the  Augusta  road  being  destroyed.  The  loss  of  the  regi- 
ment during  the  month  was  but  eleven  wounded,  of  whom  some 
probably  died.  The  loss  of  the  army  was  in  killed  and  missing 
3,804.  This  includes  the  prisoners  taken  on  the  22nd  from  the 
Seventeenth  corps.  Wounded,  5,915 — a  total  loss  of  9,719. 

On  the  2nd  of  August,  the  Twenty-third  corps,  Army  of  the 
Ohio,  which  had  for  several  days  been  on  the  extreme  left,  was 
transferred  to  the  right  in  the  effort  to  reach  the  Macon  railroad. 
The  Fourth  corps  was  thinned  out  to  fill  the  ground  thus  vacated, 
and  were  joined  by  cavalry  on  the  left.  At  the  same  time  the 
survivors  of  the  two  cavalry  expeditions  under  Stoneman  and 
McCook  respectively,  came  into  our  lines  at  different  points. 
They  had  been  sent  out  to  the  rear  of  Atlanta  to  break  the  rail- 
roads, and  thus  induce  the  evacuation  of  the  place.  Gen.  Stone- 
man also  had  a  hare-brained  scheme  to  push  on  to  Macon  and 
Andersonville  to  liberate  prisoners.  He  failed  miserably,  and, 
in  fact,  Gen.  Sherman  was  deprived  of  his  cavalry  just  when 
most  needed,  for  those  who  escaped  death  or  prison  were  fatally 
demoralized.  And  now,  perhaps,  it  would  be  interesting  to  men- 
tion the  changes  in  command,  both  among  the  prominent  offi- 
cers and  among  our  own  immediate  superiors. 

On  leaving  Cleveland  Col.  Marsh  commanded  the  regiment, 
but,  through  ill  health,  was  with  us  but  a  portion  of  the  time  un- 
til August  19th,  when  he  resigned.  During  his  absence  Lieut. - 
Col.  Kerr  commanded  until  Kenesaw  Mountain,  June  27th;  then 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  179 

Capt.  Thomas  J.  Bryan,  of  Co.  H,  as  senior  captain,  succeeded 
to  the  command,  which  he  continued  until  mustered  out. 

May  1st,  Col.  Frank  T.  Sherman,  Eighty-eighth  Illinois, 
commanded  the  brigade.  He  was  relieved  by  Brig. -Gen.  Nathan 
Kimball  about  May  20th,  and  he  by  Col.  Emerson  Opdycke,  of 
the  125th  Ohio,  about  July  25th,  his  regiment  being  transferred 
from  the  Third  brigade  to  the  First,  exchanging  with  the  Fif- 
teenth Missouri. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  campaign  the  division  was  com- 
manded by  Brig. -Gen.  John  Newton,  who  remained  with  us  un- 
til September  29th.  At  Cleveland  Maj.-Gen.  O.  O.  Howard 
succeeded  Maj.-Gen.  Gordon  Granger  as  commander  of  the 
Fourth  corps,  and  remained  such  until  the  death  of  Maj.-Gen. 
McPherson,  July  22nd,  when  he  assumed  command  of  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee;  Maj.-Gen.  David  S.  Stanley  succeeding  to  the 
command  of  the  Fourth  corps,  Brig. -Gen.  Nathan  Kimball  suc- 
ceeding Stanley  as  commander  First  division,  Fourth  corps. 

When  Gen.  Howard  took  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee, Gen.  Hooker,  commanding  Twentieth  corps,  felt  ag- 
grieved at  Howard  being  preferred  to  himself,  and  asked  to  be 
relieved  of  his  command,  which  was  done,  Maj.-Gen.  H.  W. 
Slocum  succeeding  him. 

When  the  Twenty-third  corps,  under  Gen.  Schofield,  moved 
to  the  right  of  Atlanta,  Maj.-Gen.  Palmer,  commanding  Four- 
teenth corps,  was  ordered  to  co-operate  with  him,  but  claiming 
to  have  the  oldest  commission  objected  to  taking  Schofield's  or- 
ders, and,  as  the  matter  was  insisted  on,  resigned  the  command 
of  the  Fourteenth  corps,  and  was  promptly  succeeded  by  Brevet 
Maj.-Gen.  Jefferson  C.  Davis,  a  gentleman  of  whom  we  all  had 
some  personal  knowledge,  and  who  richly  earned  the  full  rank 
of  Major-General. 

The  month  of  August  was  almost  entirely  consumed  in  work- 
ing the  right  of  the  army  around  Atlanta  to  reach  the  railroads, 
but  as  fast  as  the  lines  were  extended  a  corresponding  line  of 
works  was  found  with  determined  rebels  behind  them.  All  of 
these  movements  were  under  fire,  and  although  none  appear  as 
pitched  battles,  the  killed  and  wounded  ran  up  to  almost  an  ap- 
palling total.  About  the  middle  of  the  month  Gen.  Kilpatrick, 
with  all  the  available  cavalry,  started  out  from  the  right,  break- 
ing the  West  Point  railroad  at  Fairburn;  and  two  days  later 


180  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

made  another  dash  on  the  Macon  road  at  Jonesboro,  and  then 
pushed  through,  by  the  way  of  Decatur,  to  our  left,  having  made 
a  circuit  of  the  rebel  rear.  He  was  hardly  safe  in  our  lines  be- 
fore the  rebels  had  both  roads  in  running  order  again. 

On  the  Twenty-sixth,  the  Twentieth  corps  withdrew  to  the 
Chattahoochee  bridge  as  guard  to  the  trains  and  supplies  con- 
centrated there,  while  the  rest  of  the  army  cut  entirely  loose 
from  all  communication  to  the  rear  and  marched  for  the  rebel 
line  of  communication. 

On  the  28th  the  Fourth  and  Fourteenth  corps  reached  the 
West  Point  Road  near  Red  Oak.  The  Army  of  the  Tennessee  was 
above  Fairburn,  and  the  Twenty-third  corps  near  East  Point. 

On  that  night  and  the  next  day  the  army  thoroughly  destroy- 
ed twelve  and  one-half  miles  of  the  track.  The  13th  was  occu- 
pied in  movements  toward  the  Macon  road,  which  was  reached 
near  Jonesboro  by  the  Fourteenth  corps  late  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  31st. 

The  next  day  the  rest  of  the  army  came  up  and  were  en- 
gaged in  thoroughly  destroying  the  railroad.  It  was  found  that 
Hardee's  and  Lee's  corps  had  passed  down  from  Atlanta  to  Jones- 
boro on  the  31st,  leaving  Stewart's  in  Atlanta  with  a  large  amount 
of  ammunition,  supplies  and  railroad  rolling  stock.  The  two 
rebel  corps  entrenched  at  Jonesboro,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  of 
September  1st  were  attacked,  and  the  works  carried  by  Morgan's 
division  of  the  Fourteenth  corps,  the  same  who  successfully  as- 
saulted at  Kenesaw  Mountain.  They  captured  Govan's  rebel 
brigade  entire.  In  the  meantime  the  Fourth  corps  was  coming 
in  on  the  left  of  the  Fourteenth,  but  on  account  of  the  late  hour 
and  the  difficult  underbrush  which  they  were  obliged  to  force  their 
way  through,  could  accomplish  very  little.  Newton's  division 
came  in  behind  their  right  flank,  capturing  a  hospital  and  a  num- 
ber of  prisoners,  but  owing  to  the  darkness  got  no  farther.  In 
this  affair  the  regiment  lost  one  wounded  and  thirteen  prisoners, 
the  latter  taken  after  dark  at  the  same  moment  that  rebels  were 
surrendering  to  others  of  the  regiment  but  a  few  yards  distant. 
It  seemed  to  be  a  case  of  where  the  first  who  called  halt  was 
the  superior  force.  That  night  we  could  hear  heavy  firing  in  the 
direction  of  Atlanta.  At  dawn  the  rebels  had  left  our  front,  and 
we  learned  that  the  "firing"  on  the  night  before  was  the  destruc- 
tion of  ammunition  on  the  evacuation  of  the  "Gate  City  of  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  181 

South."     The  army  followed  Hood  as  far  as  Lovejoy's,  where  it 
again  found  him  intrenched. 

The  object  of  the  campaign  having  been  attained,  on  Sep- 
tember 5th  we  returned  to  the  interior  of  the  city,  which  for  two 
months  had  been  "so  near  and  yet  so  far." 

The  loss  of  the  regiment  during  August  and  September  was 
one  killed',  two  wounded  and  thirteen  prisoners.  Loss  of  the 
army,  killed  and  missing,  1,408;  wounded,  3,731;  total,  5,139. 
The  total  loss  of  the  regiment  from  May  14th  to  September  4th 
inclusive,  was,  killed,  thirty-one;  wounded,  one  hundred  and  thir- 
teen; prisoners,  nineteen;  a  grand  total  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
three.  As  before  stated,  these  figures  are  taken  from  the  entries 
of  a  diary  on  each  day.  There  were  undoubtedly  a  number  of 
the  wounded  who  died,  and  it  may  be  true  also  of  some  of  the  six 
noted  as  prisoners  at  Kenesaw.  Notwithstanding  the  entire  sum- 
mer had  been  spent  in  almost  one  continual  action,  and  the  rebel 
army  had  been  forced  south  about  135  miles,  what  decided  ad- 
vantage had  been  gained?  With  which  of  the  opposing  armies 
rested  a  decided  victory?  It  remained  for  Geo.  H.  Thomas, 
with  the  troops  that  Maj.-Gen.  Grant  feared  could  not  be  got 
out  of  the  Chattanooga  trenches  to  attack  Bragg,  until  Gen. 
Sherman,  with  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  had  shown  them 
the  way  and  inspired  them  with  confidence;  it  remained  for  these 
men  to  put  the  coup  de  grace  on  Hood's  army  at  Nashville,  while 
their  former  comrades  in  arms  and  exemplars  were  on  a  pleasure 
trip  to  salt  water. 

By  reference  to  Fox's  Regimental  Losses  it  is  found  that  among 
the  heaviest  losses  in  certain  battles  are  mentioned  the  following 
at  Kenesaw  Mountain,  but  which  also  includes  other  losses  near 
the  mountains: 

Reg't  Div.  Killed.          Wounded.      Missing.  Agg. 

40th  Ind.,   Newton's 34 125 10 169 

74th   111.  "         21 58 10 89 

113th  Ohio,   Davis' 27 121 5 153 

121st        "  "       22 125 147 

125th  111.,  "       47 52 5 104 

86th   "  "       29 75 12 116 

103rd  "   Harrow's 22 51 73 

Col.  Fox,  in  the  work  referred  to,  has  taken  the  muster  in 
and  muster  out  roll  of  every  regiment,  and  traced  the  history  of 
each  man.  Where  a  soldier  was  wounded  he  has  traced  out  the 


182  SIXTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

result,  and  if  he  died  is  included  among  the  killed;  similarly, 
where  a  soldier  was  reported  and  dropped  as  missing  in  action, 
he  has  found  out  what  actually  became  of  him — whether  dead  or 
a  prisoner.  As  some  may  not  see  this  most  interesting  publica- 
tion, a  few  extracts  comparing  the  losses  of  the  commands  with 
which  the  Seventy-fourth  was  associated,  may  be  of  interest. 
To  show  what  we  so  fortunately  escaped  at  Perry ville,  Ky. ,  the 
losses  on  that  field  in  the  Twenty-second  Indiana  and  Seventy- 
fifth  Illinois  are  given: 

Reg't  Killed.  Wounded,  Missing.  Agg. 

22nd    Ind 49 87 23 159 

75th  111 46.... 167 12 225 

At  Chickamauga,  the  regiments  of  our  division  (Davis')  of 
the  Twentieth  corps  lost  as  follows: 

Reg't  Killed.  Wounded.  Missing.  Agg. 

8th  Kan 30 165 25 220 

21st  111 , 32 144 62 238 

25th  " ..10 171 24 205 

35th    " 17 130 13 160 

The  losses  during  their  entire  term  of  service  of  the  follow- 
ing regiments  were  as  follows: 

Killed.  Died  of  v~tn\ 

Died  of  Wounds.  accidents,  prison. 

22nd  Ind 153 190 343 

36th  111...'. 204 128 332 

44th  " ' 135 157 292 

59th  " 109 121 230 

73rd  " 114 157 271 

74th  "  83 119 202 

75th  " 97 208 305 

88th  "  103 88 191 

2nd  Mo 91 97 188 

15th  "  115 107 222 

21st  Mich 83 294 377 

24th  Wis Ill 90 201 

125th  Ohio..  ..111..         ..114...        ...225 


Proceedings  Ninth  Reunion 

September  4,  1594,  Rocftford,  Illinois 

PRESENT  114. 


BUSINESS   MEETING. 

The  business  meeting  of  the  regiment  was  convened  at  G. 
A.  R.  Hall,  Rockford,  111.,  pursuant  to  notice,  Tuesday,  Septem- 
ber 4th,  1894,  at  11:00  o'clock,  a.  m.,  and  was  called  to  order  by 
President  John  H.  Sherratt.  In  the  absence  of  the  secretary, 
Hosmer  P.  Holland  was  elected  secretary /;-#  tern. 

Minutes  of  last  meeting  of  the  society  were  read  and  ap- 
proved. 

Upon  motion,  it  was  unanimously  agreed  that  the  matter  of 
holding  further  brigade  reunions  of  the  regiments  mustered  in  at 
Camp  Fuller  be  indefinitely  postponed.  Treasurer  T.  W.  Cole 
made  his  report,  showing  cash  on  hand  $19.20,  and  such  report 
was  approved. 

The  regiment  then  proceeded  to  elect  officers  for  the  ensu- 
ing year,  and  the  result  was  as  follows: 

JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,  President. 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

J.  S.   Cowen -. Company  A 

A.  W.  Thompson "  B 

Robert  Simpson "  C 

John   Beatson "  D 

B.  F.  Butler «•  E 

Levi  S.  Sanders "  F 

N.   C.    Burroughs «  G 

Oscar  Franklin "  H 

Jacob    Wagner "  I 

Horace  B.   Utter «  K 

HOSMER  P.   HOLLAND,  Secretary. 
THOS.  W.  COLE,   Treasurer. 


184  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

It  was  unanimously  agreed  that  the  next — the  tenth — annual 
reunion  of  the  society  be  held  at  Rockford,  111.,  September  4th, 
1895. 

Upon  motion,  the  president,  secretary  and  treasurer  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  compile  and  publish,  in  pamphlet  form, 
the  proceedings  of  this  reunion.  Adjourned  to  meet  at  camp- 
fire  of  the  regiment  at  8:00  p.  m. 

Camp-fire,  G.  A.  R.  Hall,  Tuesday  evening,  September  4th, 
the  president  of  the  association,  John  H.  Sherratt,  presiding. 
The  president,  upon  calling  the  meeting  to  order,  read  the  fol- 
lowing telegrams,  received  from  the  Ninety-second  and  Ninety- 
fifth  Illinois,  which  regiments  were  at  the  same  time  holding  re- 
unions, and  these  telegrams  being  in  answer  to  messages  of  con- 
gratulation wired  to  them  by  President  Sherratt: 

STILLMAN  VALLEY,  111.,  September  4th,  1894. 
To  JOHN  H.   SHERRATT,   Seventy-fourth  Illinois  Volunteers' 
Reunion: — Your  fraternal  greeting  received.      The  Ninety-second 
Illinois  unanimously  return  the  same,  and  wish  you  a  joyful  re- 
union. J.  D.  WHITE,  President. 

BELVIDERE,  111..  September  4,  1894. 

To  J.  H.  SHERRATT: — Congratulations  received.  Accept 
thanks  and  cordial  greeting.  C.  BLOOD,  Presiding. 

He  then  said  that  this  was  the  ninth  time  that  the  members 
of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois  had  met  together  in  reunion — eight 
times  as  a  regiment  and  once  with  the  Camp. Fuller  brigade. 
That  the  attendance  was  somewhat  smaller  than  usual,  owing  no 
doubt  to  the  hard  times  preventing  those  from  a  distance  from 
coming;  and  owing  also  to  the  fact  that  each  year  there  are  few- 
er of  us  to  attend.  That  those  who  were  here  had  taken  every- 
thing in  and  reaped  all  of  the  enjoyment  that  the  occasion  af- 
forded, not  only  for  themselves  but  for  all  of  those  who  would 
like  to  have  been  here;  that  thay  aimed  to  represent,  not  only 
themselves,  but  the  whole  crowd  present  and  absent;  that  this 
was  the  habit  acquired  during  the  war,  when  those  who  were 
present  for  duty  at  any  time,  or  any  where,  and  notably  at  Stone 
River,  Mission  Ridge,  Kenesaw  and  Franklin,  always  spoke  for 
the  whole  regiment,  and  always  in  a  language  that  could  not  be 
misunderstood. 

He  said  that  the  mayor  of  the  city,  Amasa  Hutchins,  was 
present;  that  he  was  here,  not  only  as  the  mayor,  but  in  the  high- 
er capacity  of  a  comrade;  that  he  would  call  upon  him  for  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  185 

opening  address;  that  he  knew  we  were  more  than  welcome  to 
the  city,  a  city  that  had  never  failed  to  appreciate  and  recognize 
the  services  of  the  Union  soldier,  yet  it  would  be  pleasant  to  be 
officially  assured  of  the  fact. 


ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME. 

BY  AMASA  HUTCHINS,   MAYOR  OF  ROCKFORD,   ILL. 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Comrades:  The  president  has  well  said 
that  the  members  of  the  Seventy-fourth  need  no  welcoming  ad- 
dress by  the  mayor  of  Rockford. 

It  is  only  a  formality.  I  know  that  the  citizens  of  Rockford 
and  vicinity  are  always  anxious  to  show  their  appreciation  of  any 
gathering  of  the  boys  in  blue  of  '61  and  '65,  and  especially  so  of 
the  members  of  the  Seventy-fourth,  for  there  was  scarcely  a  home 
in  Winnebago  county  that  did  not  have  some  loved  one  taken 
from  it  to  make  up  the  old  Seventy-fourth. 

I  have  heard  a  great  many  remark  that  the  boys  who  wore 
the  little  button  on  the  lapel  of  their  coats  were  in  politics  too 
much. 

I  always  ask  such  men  the  question,  "who  has  a  better 
right?"  We  fought  for  and  saved  the  country,  and  have  as  much 
interest  as  any  other  citizen  in  the  welfare  of  this  government. 

I  have  always  been  in  politics,  and  I  do  not  see  any  reason 
for  getting  out.  I  think  it  the  duty  of  every  good  citizen  to 
study  politics,  and  vote  as  they  think  best. 

The  pension  question  is  being  agitated  more  of  late  than  in 
former  years.  Many  have  been  dropped  from  the  pension  roll 
for  various  reasons  or  pretended  reasons.  Some  have  been  ask- 
ed to  furnish  more  evidence;  and  I  think  to  ask  more  evidence 
this  late  day  is  wrong.  Every  pensioner  has  been  examined  by 
different  boards  of  examiners  for  the  last  thirty  years,  and  to  fur- 
nish more  evidence  in  most  cases  would  be  impossible.  I  believe 
that  every  man  that  served  in  the  late  civil  war  is  entitled  to  a 
pension.  Comrades,  I  think  I  can  see  a  change  of  heart  in  some 
people  in  the  South,  and  I  believe  the  people  of  the  South  are 
feeling  differently  towards  the  North  than  they  used  to,  and  that 
the  change  is  growing  rapidly.  I  listened  to  a  speech  delivered 
by  Gen.  Gordon  a  few  days  ago,  at  Madison,  Wis.,  in  which  he 


186  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

said:  "The  boys  in  gray  fought  against  the  stars  and  stripes;  at 
that  time  they  thought  they  were  in  the  right,  but  they  were  mis- 
taken. The  boys  in  blue  fought  for  the  Union  and  maintained 
it;  they  were  in  the  right.  I  can  say  to  you  to-day  that  the  boys 
in  gray  will  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  the  boys  in  blue  and 
fight  for  the  flag,  and  law  and  order. 

It  is  not  for  me,  at  this  time,  to  give  you  a  history  of  the 
battles  that  we  taok  part  in.  That  has  been  left  to  comrade 
Black,  one  whom  we  all  know,  and  who  can  give  you  as  good 
an  account  of  the  different  campaigns  that  we  took  part  in  as  any 
one  in  the  Seventy-fourth. 

So,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Rockford  I  welcome  you,  be- 
cause you  are  loyal  to  our  country,  loyal  to  home,  loyal  to  your- 
selves, and  loyal  to  law  and  order.  Hence,  I  bid  you  welcome, 
thrice  welcome,  to  our  city. 

The  comrades  and  company  present  then  sang  "Marching 
through  Georgia." 

The  president  said  that  when  he  was  a  boy  one  of  his  class- 
mates at  school  was  W.  H.  Brydges,  that  they  enlisted  together 
in  Co.  K,  called,  and  why,  he  never  knew,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  com- 
pany. Perhaps  comrade  Brydges  could  tell.  He  would  call  up- 
on him  for  a  response  to  the  address  of  the  mayor. 


COMRADE  BRYUGES'   RESPONSE. 

Mr.  Mayor:  Your  kindly  words  and  hearty  welcome  intensify 
within  us  feelings  of  pleasure  mingled  with  those  of  pride  and 
sadness.  On  this  anniversary  day  we  meet  as  representatives  of 
a  regiment  gathered  from  the  farms,  the  workshops,  the  schools 
and  the  homes  of  this  beautiful  valley.  In  yonder  camp  we  were 
schooled  in  the  art  of  war,  and  fitted  for  impending  duties. 
While  there,  the  citizens  of  Rockford  were  our  friends,  and  their 
friendship  deepened  through  the  intervening  years.  On  that 
memorable  Sunday  morning,  when  we  started  for  the  front,  their 
good-bye  evinced  a  tender  solicitude.  Their  hopes  and  prayers 
followed  us  in  our  hardships  and  dangers.  Many  an  encourag- 
ing letter  and  loving  deed  attested  their  sympathy  and  their  de- 
votion to  the  cause  which  we  had  espoused.  When  our  flag  was 
tattered  and  torn  and  begrimed  by  the  smoke  of  battle,  they  sent 
us  a  new  one,  which  our  brave  boys  carried  up  the  slopes  and 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  187 

planted  on  the  very  crest  of  Missionary  Ridge;  amid  shot  and 
shell  and  the  shout  of  Victory.  When  the  conflict  was  over,  and 
the  surviving  remnant  returned  in  honor,  they  gave  them  such  a 
welcome,  such  evidence  of  appreciation,  that  the  occasion  will 
never  be  forgotten.  Many  times  since  we  have  shared  their  gen- 
erous hospitality.  Coming  from  our  scattered  homes  we  are 
pleased  to  meet  and  greet  each  other  again  -in  the  city  that  has 
always  befriended  us — a  city  ever  true  to  its  convictions  of  duty, 
and  whose  enterprise  and  intelligence  have  made  it  a  leader  in 
prosperity  and  progress.  As  you  eloquently  picture  the  glories 
of  the  past,  and  point  us  to  the  beckoning  future,  extend  to  us 
renewed  congratulations,  and  bid  us  welcome  in  the  name  of  your 
fellow  citizens,  we  reverently  bow  in  grateful  recognition  of  their 
continued  kindnesses  and  their  sacrifices  in  behalf  of  liberty  and 
national  unity. 

\Ylu-n  the  Seventy-fourth  was  called  to  duty  the  war  had  ac- 
tually begun,  and  been  in  progress  more  than  a  year.  Many 
battles  had  been  fought,  many  dear  ones  had  fallen.  No  longer 
was  the  subjugation  of  the  South  regarded  as  a  mere  holiday  pas- 
time. The  Southern  soldier,  on  many  a  hotly  contested  field, 
had  displayed  a  valor  and  a  heroism  worthy  of  a  nobler  cause. 
Those  who  enlisted  then  felt  the  gravity  of  the  situation;  had 
some  conception  of  the  stern  duties  that  awaited  them.  Yet  they 
did  not  waver,  but  led  by  the  promptings  of  a  pure  patriotism, 
they  went  forth  in  the  strength  of  manhood,  defenders  of  the  re- 
public which  had  become  the  hope  of  the  world.  Some  of  them 
were  born  across  the  sea,  but  they  were  Americans  in  thought 
and  spirit,  and  believed  in  upholding  American  institutions  and 
rendering  obedience  to  American  law. 

We  feel  pardonable  pride  in  having  been  permitted  to  play 
even  a  humble  part  in  the  great  drama  of  national  existence;  in 
the  spread  of  liberty  throughout  the  earth;  in  enhancing  the  sig- 
nificance, the  power  and  the  splendor  of  "Old  Glory." 

We  are  saddened  by  the  thought  that  brother  had  to  war 
against  brother;  that  so  many  of  our  beloved  associates  who  re- 
sponded to  their  country's  call  never  returned;  that  so  many 
homes  all  over  this  broad  land  have  been  made  desolate  that  the 
shackles  of  human  slaves  might  be  broken,  that  the  old  flag 
might  be  preserved  in  all  its  beautiful  symmetry,  "not  a  stripe 
erased  or  polluted;  not  a  single  star  obscured." 


188  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

A  generation  has  passed  since  we  were  formally  mustered 
into  the  service  of  the  United  States.  Our  deeds  as  soldiers  and 
civilians  have  become  a  part  of  the  written  and  of  the  unwritten 
history  of  the  country;  a  part  of  the  nation's  life  and  character. 
As  patriotic  citizens  we  must  be  loyal  to  every  factor  of  nation- 
al greatness  and  grandeur.  While  we  magnify  our  nation's 
achievements  and  possibilities,  we  must  not  forget  that  she  is  be- 
set by  dangers  seen  and  unseen.  Eternal  vigilance  must  con- 
tinue to  be  our  watchword. 

Great  industrial  and  governmental  problems  confront  us 
and  demand  a  just  and  last  solution.  Our  country  must  be  kept 
in  the  vanguard  of  nations  by  banishing  her  weaknesses  and  fos- 
tering her  virtues. 

My  comrades,  our  ranks  are  thinning;  our  working  hours 
are  rapidly  passing.  Let  us  stand  together  and  touch  elbows  in 
the  cause  of  country  and  humanity;  true  to  the  right,  as  we  are 
permitted  to  see  the  right,  ever  remembering  that 

"  True  worth  is  in  being,  not  seeming — 

In  doing  each  day  that  goes  by 
Some  little  good  : — not  in  the  dreaming 
Of  great  things  to  do  by  and  bye." 

May  we  be  encouraged  and  strengthened  day  by  day  by  the 
ever-present  conviction  that  "a  noble  deed  is  a  step  toward 
God." 

Dr.  W.  D.  McAffee  being  discovered  in  the  crowd  was  call- 
ed upon  for  a  song,  and  responded  with  "  Ise  gwine  back  to 
Dixie,"  which  he  rendered  in  his  best  vein;  eliciting  the  hearty 
applause  of  his  audience. 

In  the  absence  of  comrade  Edward  Black,  of  Jesup,  Iowa, 
secretary  Holland  read  the  following  paper,  prepared  by  Mr. 
Black,  on  the  Franklin  campaign  : 


THE  FRANKLIN  CAMPAIGN. 

BY    EDWARD    BLACK. 

The  Georgia  campaign,  beginning  at  Tunnel  Hill  upon  the 
morning  of  May  7th,  and  ending  at  Lovejoy's  Station  on  the 
night  of  September  7,  1864,  gave  to  the  Union  forces  the  posses- 
sion of  Atlanta,  the  famed  Gate  City  of  the  Confederacy.  During 
this  time  at  no  place  were  the  Confederate  commanders  able  to 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  181) 

shake  the  mighty  grip  which  Gen.  Sherman  placed  upon  them. 
This  close  contact  produced  almost  continuous  skirmishing,  and 
not  a  single  day  passed  without  fighting  and  artillery  firing  upon 
some  portion  of  the  lines. 

Practically  it  was  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  days  of  bat- 
tle, and  put  a  physical  strain  upon  the  men  probably  unequalled 
in  the  annals  of  war.  You  of  the  Seventy-fourth  will  remem- 
ber those  toilsome  days  and  sleepless  nights,  where  danger  lurk- 
ed in  every  shadow,  where  at  times  one  could  not  expose  a  square 
inch  of  his  body  without  taking  the  greatest  risk  of  getting  a  bul- 
let shot  into  him  by  the  nearby  and  watchful  enemy. 

You  will  remember  the  constant  watchful  care  and  vigilance 
needful  to  protect  ourselves  individually  and  collectively.  You 
cannot  forget  that  sometimes  days  and  weeks  went  by  without 
your  removing  your  shoes  or  any  part  of  your  clothing. 

You  will  not  forget  the  exposed  positions  under  the  broiling 
Georgia  sun,  or  the  chill  of  the  night  air. 

All  that  we  suffered  and  endured  was  also  borne  by  the  100,- 
000  men  of  that  grand  army  that  was  moving  with  sure  and  cer- 
tain steps  to  the  everlasting  downfall  of  the  Confederacy. 

Thus  it  was  that  the  utter  physical  exhaustion  of  his  men 
compelled  Gen.  Sherman  to  call  a  halt  for  the  much  needed  rest 
and  recuperation.  The  permanent  occupation  of  this  region  was 
looked  forward  to;  new  ventures  had  already  been  thought  of, 
and  supplies  of  all  kinds  were  needed.  Atlanta  might  be  used 
as  a  new  base  of  operations;  and  above  all  the  enemy  had  been 
so  thoroughly  beaten  it  was  not  thought  they  were  likely  to  soon 
give  much  trouble.  This,  then,  was  the  opportunity  of  which 
our  commander  availed  himself  to  retire  from  the  immediate 
presence  of  the  enemy  and  recuperate  his  forces. 

The  army  was  recalled  from  Lovejoy's  Station,  a  point  thirty 
miles  south  of  Atlanta,  to  the  vicinity  of  the  city.  You  will  re- 
member our  moving  out  from  Lovejoy's  in  the  midst  of  a  severe 
rainstorm  at  11:00  o'clock  on  the  night  of  September  7th,  and 
marching  northward  through  the  mud  in  Egyptian  darkness  to 
the  vicinity  of  Jonesboro,  where  we  went  into  camp  in  a  grove 
of  oaks  just  before  daylight. 

Morning  light  revealed  the  fact  that  we  were  occupying 
ground  whereon  our  cavalry  had  fought  a  severe  battle,  and  in 
fact  had  been  beaten  during  the  Stoneman  raid. 


190  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

Broken  saddles  and  accoutrements  lay  scattered  about  the 
fields  and  woods.  The  skeletons  of  many  horses  lay  bleaching 
in  the  sun,  while  here  and  there  lay  a  skull  or  a  few  bones  with 
shreds  of  blue  cloth  attached,  telling  us  the  fate  of  unknown  com- 
rades sleeping  their  last  sleep.  Pinned  to  the  trees  we  found 
slips  of  paper  with  scribbling  upon  them  abusing  all  Yankees, 
Sherman's  cavalry  in  particular,  and  threatening  all  who  wore 
blue  clothes  with  a  like  fate  with  the  killed  of  this  command. 

Later  we  were  glad  to  resume  our  march  from  such  grue- 
some surroundings,  and  next  afternoon,  September  9th,  found 
us  in  camp  a  few  rods  in  advance  of  the  position  we  had  held 
during  the  siege  of  Atlanta. 

With  the  usual  energy  of  the  Union  soldiers  the  ground  was 
cleaned  up,  and  beautiful  bowers  were  built  over  the  tents. 
Hedges  of  pine,  the  entrances  graceful  and  imposing  arches, 
were  built  around  some  of  the  regimental  camps.  New  clothing 
and  shoes  had  been  procured.  Sutlers  had  arrived,  and  for  the 
usual  percentage  were  distributing  some  of  the  necessaries  and 
conveniences  of  civilization.  In  fact,  the  boys  were  becoming 
satisfied  and  settling  down  to  solid  comfort. 

Matters  were  really  too  fine  with  us;  we  were  too  well  fixed, 
and  it  could  not  last. 

At  exactly  noon  on  Sunday,  September  25th,  having  jus 
listened  to  an  appropriate  sermon  by  Chaplain  Pettibone,  the 
bugles  blew  the  strike  tents  call,  and  immediately  the  fall  in  call. 
This  was  something  unusual,  even  for  those  days  of  wild  alarm. 
The  guards  on  picket  were  sent  for,  and  down  came  tents  and 
bowers,  the  work  and  skill  of  days  being  instantly  destroyed.  In 
a  few  minutes  our  belongings  were  packed  and  slung,  our  mus- 
kets taken  in  hand,  and  we  were  marching  towards  the  city.  On 
the  way  we  learned  that  our  destination  was  the  union  depot, 
where  we  arrived  in  one  hour  and  twelve  minutes  by  the  watch 
from  the  moment  the  bugle  blew  the  first  call,  the  distance  from 
camp  to  depot  being  two  miles.  This  was  called  lively  work, 
and  that,  too,  at  a  time  when  men  were  being  moved  with 
celerity. 

Engineers,  locomotives  and  cars  could  not,  or  would  not, 
be  moved  with  the  military  promptness  of  the  troops,  and  we  had 
to  wait  some  time  before  the  cars  were  ready  for  us  to  board. 
While  waiting  we  further  learned  that  we  were  to  be  sent  north- 


SEVENTY- FOURTH  ILL.  REGIMENT. 

ward  to  Chattanooga,  or  possibly  Nashville.  At  last  we  steam- 
ed out,  the  trains  being  much  overloaded  and  overcrowded. 
Our  progress  was  slow  during  the  night  ride  over  that  historic 
ground.  Marietta,  Kenesaw,  Allatoona,  Adairsville,  Resaca, 
Dalton,  Ringgold,  and  other  never  to  be  forgotten  names,  were 
stations  upon  our  route. 

Early  next  day  we  safely  arrived  and  disembarked  from  the 
trains  near  Chattanooga,  thus  in  one  night  returning  over  the 
same  ground  that  it  had  taken  four  months  of  the  best  effort  of 
one  of  the  finest  armies  ever  marshaled  on  earth  to  gain. 

The  entire  division  had  been  sent  northward  from  Atlanta, 
and  division  headquarters  were  now  established  in  Chattanooga. 

A  division  of  the  Twenty-third  corps  was.  about  the  same 
time,  sent  on  to  Nashville,  and  finally  to  Johnsonville,  but  did 
.not  arrive  at  the  latter  place  until  after  it  had  been  captured  by 
Forrest  and  the  immense  stores  destroyed.  Here,  at  Chatta- 
nooga, we  learned  that  the  rebel  general,  Hood,  was  moving 
northward,  having  crossed  the  Chattahoochie  a  short  distance 
south-west  of  Atlanta,  and  having  already  flanked  Sherman's 
army  was  now  between  that  force  and  the  Tennessee  river.  At 
just  what  point  he  would  strike  was  very  uncertain.  All  points 
on  the  Georgia  and  East  Tennessee,  and  Memphis  and  Charleston 
railroads  south  of  the  river  were  in  danger  and  threatened  by 
Hood's  main  army,  while  the  country  toward  Nashville,  includ- 
ing the  two  lines  of  railroad  which  Gen.  Sherman  depended  on 
for  supplies,  was  raided  by  the  rebel  cavalry.  The  railroads 
between  Decatur  and  Nashville  and  Stevenson  and  Nashville 
were  cut  and  torn  up  in  a  dozen  places,  guards  were  captured, 
and  block  houses  burned. 

Johnsonville,  on  the  Tennessee  river,  south-west  of  Nash- 
ville, was  captured  by  the  rebel  general,  Forrest,  and  the  im- 
mense supplies  stored  there  were  burned.  Hood  was  using  the 
same  tactics  to  drive  back  Gen.  Sherman  that  had  been  used  two 
years  previously  by  Bragg  when  he  raced  across  Tennessee  and 
Kentucky  to  the  Ohio,  compelling  the  Union  forces  to  follow- 
While  tbese  active  movements  were  taking  place,  our  division 
was  kept  almost  constantly  on  the  cars,  and  moving  from  one 
threatened  point  to  another.  We  in  reality  patrolled  the  roads 
from  Resaca  to  Huntsville,  at  one  time  going  as  far  north  as 
Cowan  Station,  on  the  Nashville  and  Chattanooga  railroad.  Al- 


192  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

latoona  was  attacked,  Resaca  and  Dalton  were  captured,  and  the 
bridges  on  the  Chickamauga,  twelve  miles  from  Chattanooga, 
were  burned.  We  expected,  of  course,  to  be  called  in  to  Chat- 
tanooga for  the  defense  of  that  important  stronghold;  but  the 
wily  Hood  did  not  come  further  north  than  Rome,  Georgia,  with 
his  main  force,  the  burning  of  the  bridges  and  capture  of  the 
small  garrisons  having  been  entrusted  to  his  advanced  columns. 
Meantime,  Sherman  had  followed  rapidly  and  arrived  at  Mariet- 
ta in  time  to  signal  from  Kenesaw  to  Gen.  Corse,  at  Allatoona, 
that  he  was  coming,  in  this  way  encouraging  Gen.  Corse  and 
his  troops  to  stand  out  in  the  heroic  defense  of  that  place.  It 
seems  that  Gen.  Sherman  had  hoped  to  corner  Hood  in  the  nooks 
of  the  mountains  near  Chattanooga.  The  wary  Hood  was  not 
to  be  caught  in  this  way,  and  held  position  near  Rome  until  the 
destruction  of  bridges  and  capture  of  garrisons  along  the  railroad 
was  accomplished.  He  then  moved  leisurely  out  of  and  around 
the  mountains  by  way  of  Talladega  and  Blue  Mountain  into 
northern  Alabama,  and  eventually  to  Columbia,  Franklin  and 
Nashville.  Hood's  movement  south  and  west  from  the  vicinity 
of  Rome,  Georgia,  at  once  gave  communication  with  Sherman's 
army,  and  we  were  relieved  from  duty  on  the  cars,  but  not  before 
we  met  with  a  sad  accident,  in  which  two  members  of  the  Seven- 
ty-fourth lost  their  lives  and  several  were  severely  injured. 

The  railroads  were  now  rapidly  repaired  and  soon  put  in  or- 
der as  far  south  as  Atlanta.  Gen.  Thomas  had  established  head- 
quarters at  Nashville,  and  at  once  began  the  work  of  collecting 
troops  at  this  point  for  the  defense  of  Tennessee. 

Gen.  Wagner  had  been  assigned  to  the  command  of  our  di- 
vision, and  about  October  17th  we  were  ordered  to  join  the  corps 
then  with  Gen.  Sherman  on  the  Chattooga  river,  near  Rome, 
Georgia.  Before  starting,  however,  some  of  the  boys  of  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth were  furloughed  and  returned  to  their  homes  for  a 
short  visit,  and  to  vote  for  Lincoln. 

However,  in  obedience  to  orders  we  started,  and  marched 
through  the  old  Chickamauga  battlefield  during  the  night,  reach- 
ing Lee  and  Gordon's  Mills  at  daylight,  and,  after  breakfast,  con- 
tinuing on  southward  towards  LaFayette  and  Alpine,  reaching 
the  latter  place,  I  think,  on  the  19th.  Here  we  were  ordered  to 
remain  and  forage  the  country.  This  job  was  most  thoroughly 
done,  not  only  in  an  official  way  but  also  by  private  enterprise. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  193 

Never  elsewhere  had  we  taken  such  liberties  with  sweet  potato 
patches  and  fat  pigs;  and  when  the  people  complained  to  Gen. 
Wagner  he  told  them  that  was  all  right,  we  were  there  to  drain 
that  country  dry  and  prevent  the  people  from  feeding  the  guer- 
illas who  were  in  hiding  in  that  vicinity. 

We  remained  at  Alpine  until  October  28th,  when  we  were 
joined  by  the  other  two  divisions  of  the  Fourth  corps,  all  moving 
northward  again,  and  arriving  at  Chattanooga  on  the  31st.  We 
were  to  be  sent  to  Middle  Tennessee  to  oppose  the  advance  of 
Hood,  and  to  join  the  forces  which  Gen.  Thomas  was  gathering 
in  that  region.  In  June,  of  1865,  I  heard  Gen.  Sherman  who 
was  making  a  speech  from  the  balcony  of  the  old  Tremont  House 
in  Chicago  (in  answer  to  a  query  from  a  soldier  in  the  street  why 
he  had  sent  the  Fourth  corps  to  Tennessee  instead  of  taking  it 
on  that  picnic  to  the  sea)  say  that  he  had  to  send  some  troops 
that  he  could  trust  or  depend  on,  and  that,  after  he  had  heard 
how  they  had  done  at  Franklin  and  Nashville,  he  felt  satisfied 
that  no  others  would  so  well  have  answered  the  purpose.  "Jti 
fact,"  (with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye)  "I  could  not  have  done  better 
myself,"  he  added. 

And  this,  comrades,  is  the  only  reason  I  have  ever  heard 
given  why  it  was  the  Fourth  instead  of  the  Twentieth  or  Four- 
teenth or  some  other  corps  that  was  selected  to  go  back.  One 
division  of  the  Twenty-third  corps  had  been  sent  back  early,  and 
the  balance  of  that  corps  was  also  to  go.  On  the  afternoon  of 
November  1st  we  again  boarded  the  cars,  and  were  taken  byway 
of  Huntsville  and  Decatur  to  Athens,  Alabama.  This  line  of 
road,  which  had  been  broken,  was  not  yet  fully  repaired,  and  in 
fact  no  further  attempts  were  made  to  do  so  until  after  the  battle 
of  Nashville. 

Athens,  or  at  least  the  creek  one  mile  south  of  the  place, 
was  as  far  as  the  trains  could  run,  the  bridge  being  burned.  The 
bridges  over  the  Elk,  a  few  miles  north  of  Athens,  had  also  been 
destroyed  and  were  not  repaired.  The  railroad  was  in  running 
order,  however,  south  from  Nashville  through  Columbia  to  Pu- 
laski,  Tennessee.  The  latter  place  we  were  now  bound  for;  and 
during  the  day  the  trains  carrying  the  balance  of  the  troops  of 
our  corps  arrived,  and  all  moved  out  through  a  dreary  rainstorm, 
which  turned  to  sleet  and  snow,  a  few  miles  to  camp.  Snow 
fell  to  the  depth  of  three  inches  during  the  night,  and  the  march 


194  NINTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

was  not  resumed  until  nearly  noon  of  the  next  day.  We  march- 
ed on  through  mud  and  slush  until  late  that  evening,  and  next 
day,  November  4th,  at  noon,  reached  the  Elk  river.  The  trains 
and  animals,  except  a  couple  of  batteries  belonging  to  the  corps, 
had  been  sent  up  the  other  railroad  from  Stevenson  to  Cowan 
Station,  and  from  there  were  driven  across  to  Pulaski.  Thus  we 
had  no  means  of  crossing  the  Elk,  which  we  found  to  be  boom- 
ing high  with  the  rains  and  the  melting  snow.  There  was  no 
other  way  but  to  plunge  in  and  wade  that  icy  flood. 

The  men  took  off  their  clothing  and  tied  up  bundles  to 
be  carried  on  the  ends  of,  the  muskets,  thereby  insuring  dry 
raiment  when  they  should  emerge  from  their  unwilling  bath. 
The  water  was  right  up  to  the  necks  of  the  shorter  men,  and  ice 
cold;  in  fact,  patches  of  snow  still  lay  upon  the  fields.  All  cross- 
ed in  this  way,  members  of  the  Seventy-fourth  making  it  safely, 
though  there  were  a  few  reports  of  drowning  in  other  regiments. 

While  crossing,  Gen.  Wagner,  seeing  the  exhausted  condi- 
tion of  the  men,  and  ever  mindful  of  their  comfort,  had  ordered 
some  old  buildings  on  the  north  bank  to  be  set  on  fire.  These 
being  of  heavy  oak  frames  made  very  hot  and  lasting  fires,  before 
which  the  men  warmed  themselves  and  replaced  their  clothing, 
which  they  had  carried  over  dry,  and  soon  continued  the  march 
northward  towards  Pulaski,  which  was  reached  the  next  morn- 
ing, November  5th,  we  having  camped  near  town  the  previous 
night.  Here  an  extensive  system  of  fortifications  was  begun, 
and  after  working  on  them  several  days  was  abandoned.  Here 
also  we  were  joined  by  a  portion  of  the  Twenty-third  corps,  Gen. 
Schofield  having  command  of  all  forces  in  the  field,  Gen.  Thom- 
as still  holding  headquarters  at  Nashville,  and  directing  opera- 
tions from  that  point.  We  left  Gen.  Hood  with  the  rebel  army 
at  Talladega  and  Blue  Mountain,  Alabama,  about  October  15th. 
He  continued  his  movement  toward  the  Tennessee  river  around 
the  spurs  of  the  mountain,  and  reached  the  vicinity  of  Florence, 
Alabama,  about  the  same  date  as  our  arrival  at  Pulaski.  There 
he  remained  several  days,  gathering  supplies  and  making  pre- 
parations to  cross  the  Tennessee  at  Muscle  Shoals.  In  this  he 
was  opposed  by  the  Union  cavalry  under  Gen.  Hatch  and  other 
officers.  During  the  last  week  of  our  stay  at  Pulaski  we  almost 
daily  heard  the  booming  of  cannon  on  the  banks  of  the  Tennes- 
see, fifty  miles  distant,  where  the  rebels  were  attempting  to  cross, 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  195 

While  here  at  Pulaski  we  were  joined  by  the  balance  of  the 
artillery  belonging  to  the  Fourth  corps  and  all  its  wagon  trains, 
which  had  come  around  by  Cowan  Station  and  Fayetteville. 
Thus  the  forces  again  began  to  take  on  the  appearance  of  a  com- 
pletely equipped  army. 

We  remained  at  Pulaski  until  the  morning  of  the  22nd, 
when  we  were  hurriedly  ordered  out  at  2:00  a.  m.,  moving  north 
to  Linnville,  remaining  there  until  3:00  o'clock,  a.  m.,  of  the 
24th,  when  the  entire  forces  were  rapidly  marched  (I  might  say 
raced)  to  Columbia.  The  cause  of  those  hurried  night  marches 
was  the  fact  that  Hood  had  crossed  the  Tennessee  river,  driven 
back  the  Union  cavalry,  and  was  moving  rapidly  on  parallel 
roads,  with  a  view  of  reaching  Columbia  in  advance  of  the  Union 
forces,  thereby  completely  cutting  them  off  from  Nashville. 

The  advance  of  the  Union  forces  arrived  at  Columbia  in  time 
to  prevent  Hood's  army  from  carrying  out  that  design.  The  Confed- 
erate   advance    had    arrived   full    as   early  as  any  of  the  Union 
troops,  and  had  already  attacked  the  small  force  of  cavalry  and 
the  garrison  stationed  there. 

The  rebels  were  coming  in  upon  a  road  running  east  of 
north,  while  we  moved  directly  north.  The  cavalry,  which  had 
been  bringing  up  the  rear,  was  hurried  by  us,  and  at  once  en- 
gaged the  enemy,  which  was  making  the  attack.  The  infantry 
was  also  rapidly  brought  up,  and  in  a  short  time  encircled  the 
town  with  a  line  reaching  from  the  river  above  to  the  river  be- 
low the  place,  thus  saving  and  protecting  the  crossings  of  the 
Duck  River. 

An  earthwork  was  thrown  up,  as  the  enemy  appeared  in 
force  and  for  three  days  threatened  attack,  and  in  fact  did  recon- 
noitre in  force,  while  at  some  points  collisions  occurred.  It  was 
afterwards  learned  that  those  feints  by  the  enemy  were  but  tricks 
to  keep  Gen.  Schofield  on  the  south  bank  of  Duck  River,  while 
the  real  object  was  to  make  a  crossing  above  and  gain  the  rear 
of  the  Union  army,  again  cutting  us  off  from  Nashville. 

The  evacuation  of  the  position  on  the  south  bank  of  Duck 
river  commenced  on  the  afternoon  of  the  27th,  the  last  of  the 
force  being  withdrawn  before  daylight  of  the  29th.  You  will  re- 
member that  our  division  crossed  late  in  the  evening  of  the  27th, 
and  remained  in  position  on  the  north  bank  until  the  morning 
of  the  29th. 


196  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

While  here,  a  squad  of  the  boys  who  went  home  from  Chat- 
tanooga to  vote  arrived  on  the  28th,  among  them  being  John  W. 
Stewart,  of  Co.  C,  who  was  killed  next  day  at  Spring  Hill. 
While  these  movements  were  in  progress  by  the  Union  army, 
the  Confederates  were  persistently  active  in  completing  the  cross- 
ing of  Duck  River.  The  Union  cavalry  had  for  several  days  been 
upon  the  north  bank  of  the  stream,  and  were  carefully  watching 
the  fords  and  all  available  crossings.  Still  the  rebel  forces,  who 
outnumbered  us  in  the  proportion  of  nearly  three  to  one,  were 
able  to  successfully  lay  their  pontoons  at  a  point  about  five  miles 
east  of  Columbia,  on  the  evening  of  the  28th.  The  purpose  of  the 
rebels  was  easily  divined  by  Gen.  Wilson  of  the  cavalry,  who 
was  watching  closely.  This  crossing  of  the  Confederates,  while 
we  still  lingered  at  the  river  near  Columbia,  made  the  situation 
of  Schofield's  army  perilous  indeed.  Gen.  Wilson  had  given 
Gen.  Schofield  timely  warning,  and  urged  him  to  fall  back  to 
Franklin.  Gen.  Thomas,  who  had  been  apprised  of  the  situa- 
tion by  Wilson,  telegraped  Gen.  Schofield  to  fall  back  at  once 
to  Franklin,  leaving  sufficient  force  at  Spring  Hill  to  contest  the 
enemy's  progress  until  securely  posted  at  Franklin.  This  tele- 
gram was  said  to  be  as  early  as  3:30  a.  m.  of  the  29th.  Gen. 
Stanley,  commander  of  the  Fourth  corps,  who  had  two  years  pre- 
viously been  chief  of  cavalry,  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  who 
was  familiar  with  every  road  and  by-path  in  all  that  region,  re- 
alizing the  extremely  hazardous  situation  of  the  troops,  had  also 
urged  Gen.  Schofield  to  move,  and  strenuously  protested  against 
delay. 

The  indecision,  apathy,  over-confidence,  or  whatever  it 
might  be,  of  Gen.  Schofield,  is  strangely  unexplained,  and  came 
very  near  causing  the  greatest  disaster  of  the  war  to  the  Union 
arms.  By  the  time  the  Union  advance  left  the  vicinity  of  Col- 
umbia, at  8:30  a.m.  of  the  29th,  the  Confederates  were  miles  ahead 
of  us  and  much  nearer  Franklin,  which  point  both  armies  were 
aiming  for. 

The  baggage  of  the  various  posts  and  garrisons  from  the 
Tennessee  northward  had  been  brought  along  and  added  to  our 
already  large  train  of  wagons  until  they  became  cumbrous  in  the 
extreme,  and  proved  a  factor  that,  had  it  been  taken  advantage 
of  by  the  enemy,  would  have  certainly  caused  the  utter  destruc- 
tion of  Gen.  Schofield's  army.  You  will  remember  we  marched. 


SEVENTY- FOURTH  ILL.  REGIMENT.  197 

out  with  the  Seventy-fourth,  leading  the  column,  the  entire  divi- 
sion moving  in  advance  of  the  train.  The  train  was  said  to 
number  above  one  thousand  wagons,  and  filled  the  road  for  near- 
ly ten  miles.  The  distance  from  Columbia  to  Spring  Hill  is 
about  fourteen  miles. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  troops  were  but  leaving  Colum- 
bia when  the  head  of  the  column  arrived  at  Spring  Hill.  Un- 
known to  us  at  the  time,  Hood's  main  body  was  moving  almost 
side  by  side  with  us  upon  a  road  but  two  to  four  miles  away,  said 
road  converging  or  running  into  the  Columbia  pike  (upon  which 
we  were  marching)  at  Spring  Hill.  This  region  is  a  fine  open 
country,  and  there  was  absolutely  nothing  to  prevent  the 
rebels  from  marching  down  upon  the  thin  line  of  troops,  or  upon 
the  train,  at  any  point  between  Columbia  and  Spring  Hill.  I 
have  said  that  the  Seventy-fourth  led  the  advance,  but  there  are 
others  who  claim  that  honor,  notably  the  men  of  the  Sixty- 
fourth  Ohio.  They  claim  to  have  been  in  advance,  and  to  have 
reached  Spring  Hill  as  early  as  2:00  o'clock.  This  has  gone 
down  in  history,  but  is  certainly  incorrect.  No  troops  were  in 
sight  of  us  in  the  advance  at  any  point.  Gen.  Stanley,  the  corps 
commander,  rode  along  with  Col.  Opdycke  a  good  portion  of 
the  distance.  We  saw  no  enemy,  nor  did  we  hear  sounds  of 
battle  as  we  approached  Spring  Hill. 

The  historians  of  the  Sixty-fourth  Ohio  claim  to  have  be- 
come engaged  with  the  rebel  infantry  south  and  east  of  the  vil- 
lage as  early  as  a  quarter  past  two  o'clock,  and  that  the  battle 
was  most  severe  and  lasting.  It  is  true  such  a  battle  did  take 
place,  but  it  was  much  later  in  the  day.  Those  of  the  Seventy- 
fourth  who  were  present  on  that  occasion  both  saw  and  heard 
the  gallant  fight  made  by  Bradley's  brigade,  and  will  bear  me 
out  that  it  was  but  a  continuation  of  the  fight  begun  by  ourselves. 

Here  I  wish  to  say  that  the  very  best  article  that  has  yet 
been  published  on  this  campaign  is  from  the  pen  of  J.  H.  Shel- 
lenbarger,  of  tbe  Sixty-fourth  Ohio,  now  of  Humboldt,  Iowa. 
He  has  undoubtedly  given  us  a  correct  and  able  story  as  he  saw 
it,  yet  he  is  wide  of  the  mark  in  asserting  that  the  Sixty-fourth 
Ohio  led  the  advance  that  day. 

Spring  Hill  was  reached  a  few  minutes  before  3:00  o'clock. 
On  rising  the  hill  upon  which  the  village  is  built,  a  line  of  rebel 
cavalry,  reaching  from  northwest  around  to  the  east  side  of  the 
town,  and  about  one-third  of  a  mile  therefrom,  was  seen. 


198  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

The  sight  of  the  rebels  here,  although  not  unexpected,  was 
somewhat  surprising.  They  had  completely  beaten  us  in  the 
march,  and  now  lay  across  the  road,  effectually  blocking  our  pro- 
gress towards  Franklin.  The  exclamation  of  a  comrade  as  we 
neared  the  top  of  the  hill  in  the  village  street,  and  he  caught 
sight  of  the  rebel  line,  is  most  vividly  remembered  :  "Boys, 
they  have  got  us  like  rats  in  a  trap  !"  This  was  thought  little  of 
at  the  moment;  but  had  the  enemy  attempted  what  they  did 
next  day,  it  would  have  proven  absolutely  correct.  Immediate- 
ly we  formed  a  skirmish  line  right  there  in  the  streets,  and  before 
we  had  reached  the  center  of  the  village.  Remembering  this  cir- 
cumstance as  well  as  though  it  happened  last  week,  no  man  from 
any  other  command  will  be  allowed  to  say  they  held  the  ad- 
vance. 

On  forming  the  skirmish  line  we  with  cheers  moved  rapidly 
out  on  the  advancing  horsemen,  who,  after  a  few  volleys,  broke 
and  fell  back  to  the  eastward  of  town,  there  joining  the  rebel  in- 
fantry and  commencing  the  attack  upon  the  other  brigades  of 
the  division,  which  had  by  this  time  come  up  and  taken  position 
on  our  right  to  the  east  and  south-east  side  of  town.  Here  the 
Union  troops  were  fiercely  assailed,  but  most  gallantly  held  the 
enemy  at  bay  until  after  dark,  when  the  advance  of  other  troops 
began  to  arrive,  and  the  enemy  made  no  further  attempts. 

Fortunate  indeed  were  the  Union  forces  in  having  that  skill- 
ful and  energetic  officer,  Gen.  Stanley,  present  at  this  most  crit- 
ical juncture.  Had  the  troops  been  less  skillfully  disposed,  or 
less  ably  handled,  the  attack  by  the  enemy  would  have  been  al- 
most certain  to  result  successfully. 

Even  with  slight  success  at  this  time  and  place,  who  will 
dare  limit  the  disaster  to  the  Union  army  which  must  have  fol- 
lowed. During  the  time  the  skirmishing  and  fighting  was  taking 
place,  the  immense  wagon  train  which  was  moving  up  the  road 
from  Columbia  following  our  division  could  not  proceed  further, 
and  was  corralled  in  our  rear  near  the  village. 

Immediately  following  the  train  came  a  portion  of  the  Twen- 
ty-third corps,  which,  with  a  slight  halt  at  Spring  Hill,  continu- 
ed its  march  northward  toward  Franklin.  Following  these 
troops,  the  train  was  again  moved  out,  starting  about  10:00 
o'clock,  p.  m.  Behind  the  train  came  the  remainder  of  the  force, 
including  artillery  and  a  portion  of  the  cavalry.  Hood,  in  cross- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  199 

ing  Duck  river,  had  most  skillfully  divided  Gen.  Wilsons's  cav- 
alry, pushing  a  large  portion  of  them  to  his  right,  thus  coming 
between  them  and  the  troops  on  or  near  the  Columbia  pike,  and 
forcing  them  to  make  a  wide  detour  to  again  join  Schofield  be- 
tween Spring  Hill  and  Franklin. 

All  night  train  and  troops  moved  by  in  our  rear  hastening 
forward  to  hold  and  protect  the  crossing  of  the  Harpeth  River  at 
Franklin.  By  daylight  of  the  30th  all  were  gone  save  our  divi- 
sion alone,  which  had  remained  all  night  watchful  and  alert  on 
the  skirmish  line  and  within  a  few  paces  of  the  enemy. 

Just  at  daybreak  the  right  of  the  division  was  called  in,  one 
regiment  following  another  and  passing  to  the  rear  northward, 
soon  brought  the  consolidated  Eighty-eighth  and  Seventy-fourth 
regiments  (who  were  on  the  extreme  left)  out  to  the  road  as  rear 
guard  of  the  entire  force.  We  were  immediatly  followed  by  the 
enemy,  and  had  not  marched  a  mile  before  they  were  in  sight  in 
close  pursuit. 

This  pursuit  was  kept  up  until  we  reached  Franklin,  and 
during  this  time  they  were  out  of  sight  scarcely  a  moment,  em- 
bracing every  opportunity  to  dash  up  and  fire  upon  us.  At  sev- 
eral points  the  fire  was  returned  with  such  marked  success  that 
they  skulked  cautiously  along  the  edges  of  timber  and  sheltering 
hills  just  out  of  range.  At  1:00  o'clock  we  reached  the  Winsted 
hills,  two  miles  south  of  Franklin,  and  the  brigade  was  halted 
here  as  a  corps  of  observation,  and  remained  until  half-past  two 
o'clock,  and  until  the  enemy  had  flanked  us  and  marched  by  up- 
on a  parallel  road  nearer  the  river,  until  they  were  fully  one-half 
mile  nearer  Franklin  than  were  we. 

This  force  that  marched  by  us  was  a  very  large  one, 
and  was  afterwards  ascertained  to  be  Stewart's  corps  of  Hood's 
army.  Upon  our  right,  as  well  as  in  front  of  the  Winsted  hills, 
could  also  be  seen  large  bodies  of  the  Confederates  massing  as 
for  attack. 

Many  writers  of  various  commands  have  written  of  this  march 
for  the  columns  of  the  National  Tribune,  claiming  to  have  been 
the  last  troops  in,  and  placing  the  time  of  passing  Spring  Hill 
from  3:00  to  9:00  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  30th.  They  are 
to  a  man  sure  they  marched  right  by  or  through  the  camps  of  the 
sleeping  Confederates,  and  all  saw  the  rebel  guards  walking 
their  beats  before  the  fires.  Many  of  them  skirmished  with  the 


200  NINTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

enemy  all  the  way  from  Spring  Hill  to  Franklin,  and  then  did 
wonders  in  defending  the  place  from  the  overwhelming  attack. 

How  such  fellows  got  such  absurd  notions  into  their  heads  is 
beyondthe  comprehension  ofthe  writer.  Men  might  honestly  differ 
about  matters  which  they  saw  from  different  standpoints,  but  in 
this  case,  where  the  facts  are  officially  given,  and  well  and  cor- 
rectly known  by  hundreds  of  the  command,  a  fool  should  not  err 
therein.  I  have  before  me  a  copy  of  the  Southern  Bivouac  for 
June,  188o,  with  map  of  the  battlefield  of  Franklin  and  story  of  the 
pursuit  of  the  Federal  forces  from  Spring  Hill,  and  battle  of 
Franklin  on  November  30,  1864,  which  agrees  in  every 
particular  as  to  occurrences,  both  time  and  place,  on 
that  date  with  statements  which  have  always  been  made 
by  members  of  our  command.  For  a  part  of  the  way 
between  Spring  Hill  and  the  Winsted  Hills,  the  writer  had 
charge  (under  the  supervision  of  a  brigade  staff  officer)  of  the 
rear  guard  of  perhaps  a  dozen  men  of  the  Seventy-fourth  and 
Eighty-eighth,  and  is  ready  to  affirm  that  the  aforesaid  writers 
and  stragglers  were  not  during  that  time  seen  by  the  Union 
troops,  and  evidently  were  not  found  by  the  Confederates. 
Scarcely  one  moment  were  the  men  of  the  Seventy-fourth  out  of 
sight  of  the  pursuing  and  fighting  rebels  from  3:00  o'clock  of  the 
afternoon  of  the  29th  until  11:00  o'clock  of  the  night  of  the  30th, 
and  where  these  men  could  have  come  in  is  a  mystery. 

As  before  stated,  the  troops  of  the  Twenty-third  corps 
marched  on  from  Spring  Hill  during  the  early  part  of  the  night 
of  the  29th  in  advance  of  the  wagon  train,  and  as  was  afterwards 
learned  reached  Franklin  by  daylight  of  the  30th.  The  village 
is  situated  in  a  bend  of  the  Harpeth,  and  here,  across  this  bend, 
a  line  extending  from  the  river  above  town  to  the  river  below  was 
selected,  and  these  tired  men  were  at  once  set  to  work  intrench- 
ing. The  men  were  so  completely  exhausted,  having  had  not  a 
moment's  rest  for  twenty-two  hours,  that  slow  progress  was 
made  upon  the  earthwork,  and  the  troops  which  followed  the 
train  found  it  in  very  poor  shape  upon  their  arrival.  Work  was 
continued,  however,  until  the  very  moment  of  the  attack,  and 
although  still  imperfect  and  a  poor  excuse,  it  was  the  salvation 
of  the  Union  army. 

When  Opdycke's  brigade  was  halted  at  the  Winsted  Hills 
the  other  two  brigades  of  Wagner's  division  were  moved  up  to 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  201 

within  one-third  of  a  mile  of  the  earthwork  being  built  to  cover 
the  town  and  crossings.  Here  they  were  posted,  and  through 
the  neglect  or  mismanagement  of  some  one,  were  allowed  to  stay 
and  receive  unaided  and  unprotected  the  full  force  of  one  of  the 
most  tremendous  assaults  in  all  history. 

At  half-past  two  o'clock  Opdycke's  brigade  was  ordered  to 
fall  back,  and,  it  is  said,  to  join  the  other  two  brigades  in  front 
of  the  Union  lines.  Having  closely  observed  the  massing  of  an 
unusually  large  force  of  the  enemy  in  our  immediate  vicinity  at 
Winsted,  and  realizing,  in  fact  knowing  full  well,  what  it  meant, 
Col.  Opdycke  positively  refused  to  remain  in  this  exposed  situa- 
tion with  the  other  brigades ;  not  only  refused  to  join  the  others, 
but  most  earnestly  urged  their  withdrawal.  The  consequence 
was  that  Opdycke  was  finally  ordered  inside  the  works,  to  take 
position  in  the  rear  of  the  Carter  buildings,  and  there  remain  as 
a  reserve.  Doubtless  that  resolution  of  Col.  Opdycke's  to  take  us, 
not  to  a  place  of  shelter  or  safety,  but  to  a  position  where  we 
might  have  at  least  a  fighting  show  for  our  lives,  saved  many  lives 
in  the  regiments  of  his  brigade.  Here  there  was  but  a  handful 
of  the  Seventy-fourth  left;  but  who  can  tell  how  many  would 
have  remained  to  tell  the  tale  had  the  brigade  been  left  in  the 
outer  exposed  position. 

Little  did  we  think  as  we  marched  in  on  the  Columbia  pike 
what  a  few  minutes  would  bring  forth.  While  knowing  well  that 
ample  prepartions  had  been  made,  and  that  it  was  more  than 
probable  a  collision  would  occur,  we  had  yet  to  learn  that  a  bat- 
tle of  the  first  magnitude  would  be  instantly  launched  in  its  wild- 
est fury  upon  us.  The  rapidity  and  promptness  with  which  the 
rebel  commander  formed  his  lines  showed  that  he  had  the  utmost 
confidence  in  his  ability  to  crush  the  Union  forces.  While  it  can 
never  be  accurately  known  just  how  many  of  the  Union  forces 
were  upon  the  south  side  of  the  river,  it  is  morally  certain  they 
did  not  exceed  11,000  men,  and  of  these  not  more  than  two-thirds, 
or  less  than  8,000,  received  the  overwhelming  assault  of  the  28,- 
000  Confederates,  backed  by  10,000  men  in  reserve,  who  were 
brought  into  the  later  assaults.  This  tremendous  force  was 
massed  and  driven  by  converging  their  lines  upon  a  portion  of 
the  Federal  earthworks  less  than  five  hundred  yards  in  extent. 
Upon  this  space  of  not  more  than  twenty  acres  the  battle  was 
fought,  and  here  in  the  space  of  three  hours  were  more  Confed- 


202  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

erates  killed  than  in  any  battle  of  the  war,  Gettysburg  alone  ex- 
cepted. 

As  before  stated,  Opdycke's  brigade  was  brought  inside  the 
lines  and  placed  in  reserve  in  rear  of  the  Carter  buildings  upon 
the  west  side  of  the  Columbia  pike.  We  reached  this  position 
at  not  far  from  a  quarter  past  three  o'clock,  and  had  just  stacked 
arms  and  were  ordered  to  prepare  coffee  and  something  to  eat, 
(having  had  no  opportunity  to  so  much  as  build  a  fire  since  day- 
light of  the  29th)  when  a  cannon-shot  from  the  Confederates 
came  screaming  through  our  ranks,  striking  one  of  the  Eighty- 
eighth  boys  in  the  writer's  company  upon  the  leg,  and  passing  on 
striking  a  spade  which  had  been  stuck  into  the  ground  when  the 
line  halted,  cutting  off  the  handle  as  squarely  as  it  could  have 
been  done  by  a  saw,  then  hitting  and  breaking  the  leg  of  a  pack 
horse  upon  which  were  our  blankets  and  cooking  utensils,  and 
thence  dancing  upon  the  ground  to  the  rear  without  doing  fur- 
ther damage. 

This  shot  evidently  was  the  signal  for  assault,  and  following 
it  rose,  shrill  and  piercing,  the  rebel  yell,  the  same  identical  never- 
to-be-forgotten  yell  we  had  heard  upon  a  score  of  battlefields, 
thus  leaving  us  in  no  doubt  whatever  of  the  intention  of  the  ene- 
my. Every  man  knew  what  wascomiug,  and  what  would  be  ex- 
pected of  him. 

There  was  no  alternative;  we  must  fight  or  perish.  Instant- 
ly, and  without  orders,  every  man  stepped  into  place  and  grasp- 
ed his  musket,  and  the  line  moved  directly  forward,  starting  be- 
fore the  brigade  or  regimental  officers  could  mount  their  horses. 

Meantime  the  oncoming  rebels  had  struck  the  two  brigades 
posted  in  front  of  the  line,  breaking,  driving  and  running  over 
them,  capturing  nearly  1.000  prisoners.  Here  the  mistake  of 
leaving  those  men  in  this  exposed  situation  became  apparent. 
As  they  came  running  back  towards  the  earth  works  the  men 
therein  were  loath  to  fire,  and  cannon  and  musket  remained  si- 
lent during  those  moments  that  were  more  than  precious.  The 
Confederate  officers,  seeing  their  advantage,  shouted  to  their 
men:  "Go  in  with  the  Yanks;  go  in  with  the  Yanks,"  and  this 
they  accomplished,  breaking  and  holding  the  line  on  both  sides 
of  the  Columbia  pike  for  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards,  cap- 
turing two  four-gun  batteries  with  the  guns  still  loaded,  turning 
them  right  and  left  in  an  enfilading  fire  upon  the  Union  lines,  and 
serving  them  as  long  as  the  ammunition  lasted. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  203 

Immediately  in  our  front  were  stationed  two  new  regiments, 
which  of  course  gave  way  before  this  awful  rush.  In  fact,  look- 
ing at  it  from  the  standpoint  of  these  men,  many  of  whom  had 
never  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action,  it  seemed  as  hopeless  to  at- 
tempt to  check  the  Confederates  as  to  hold  back  Niagara.  Those 
regiments,  abandoning  all  hope  of  resistance,  together  with  the 
men  driven  in  from  the  front,  the  rebels  among  and  following 
them  with  the  utmost  fury,  bore  down  upon  us 

In  this  awful  conflict  orders  could  not  be  heard,  but,  as  be- 
fore stated,  the  men  of  Opdycke's  brigade  knew  exactly  what 
was  needed  and  wanted  of  them.  The  ranks  were  opened  and 
the  fugitives  allowed  to  pass  through,  many  of  them,  especially 
those  of  Lane's  brigade,  turning  and  moving  up  with  us.  Thus 
it  was  that  our  perfect  ranks  met  in  the  yards  around  Carter's 
buildings  the  exultant,  determined  rebels,  with  a  shock  that  would 
seem  to  make  worlds  reel.  From  the  moment  of  forming  their 
lines  the  Confederates  had  felt  an  absolute  certainty  of  victory. 
As  events  progressed,  and  the  game  all  came  into  their  hands, 
it  must  have  seemed  to  them  that  the  battle  was  already  won. 

Hence  it  was  that  the  obtrusiveness  of  Opdycke's  men  in 
poking  their  noses  and  muskets  in  their  faces  in  this,  as  they 
thought,  moment  of  victory,  but  maddened  them  to  demoniacal 
fury. 

At  other  poins  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  break  in  the  line, 
the  Union  troops  stood  fast  with  a  resolution  and  determination 
never  surpassed  upon  any  battlefield  of  history,  and  beat  back 
or  held  the  overwhelming  flood  of  Confederates.  All  circum- 
stances seemed  to  conspire  to  make  more  furious  the  men  with 
whom  we  had  to  deal.  So  complete  was  the  breach,  so  exten- 
sive the  captured  line,  it  seemed  the  wildest  presumption  to  at- 
tempt to  recover  loss  or  repair  the  damage.  Already  the  victory 
was  within  their  grasp,  and  the  total  wreck  or  annihilation  of 
the  Union  army  was  easily  within  the  possibilities  and  probabil- 
ities of  that  moment.  Those,  comrades,  were  among  the  condi- 
tions under  which  you  met  the  enemies  of  your  country  upon 
that  eventful  day.  We  are  told  that  when  Greek  meets  Greek 
then  comes  the  tug  of  war.  You  found  the  truth  of  this  old  saw 
in  the  bewildering,  maddening  struggle  which  followed;  a  strug- 
gle which  ended  by  the  enemy  being  killed,  captured  or  thrust 
back  over  the  works,  there  to  lie  almost  at  our  mercy  (because, 


204  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

in  the  humble  opinion  of  the  writer,  there  never  was  a  ghost  of 
a  chance  for  them  to  win  after  the  first  grand  assault  whose  suc- 
cessful center  had  been  driven  back  by  Opdycke's  brigade),  un- 
til utter  weariness  and  exhaustion  put  an  end  to  the  conflict. 

How  it  was  done  no  man  can  tell;  but  certain  it  is  blows 
were  struck  such  as  had  never  been  struck  before.  All  felt  they 
were  fighting  infuriated  demons,  and  fought  for  their  lives. 
With  the  courage  of  desperation  each  and  every  one  did  his  best, 
and  none  shrank  from  the  consequences  to  which  utter  reckless- 
ness exposed  them.  All  seemed  to  be  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
Col.  Opdpcke's  famous  saying:  "Here,  men,  we  drive  them 
back,  or  from  here  we  go  to  heaven."  As  before  stated,  we 
must  fight  or  perish;  or  rather  this  reserve  brigade  must  fight 
and  win,  or  the  army  must  perish. 

Deeds  of  matchless  courage  and  heroism  which  should  bring 
everlasting  crowns  of  laurel,  were  too  common  to  notice.  The 
valor  of  those  old  Spartan  bands  at  Thermopylae  and  Marathon 
comes  down  to  us  in  legend  and  story  through  the  mists  of  twen- 
ty-four centuries  as  examples  of  resolution  and  devotion,  of  cour- 
age never  to  be  equalled  while  man  existeth  upon  the  earth. 

Yet  I  firmly  believe  that  no  one  who  looked  on  with  his 
natural  eyes  and  witnessed  that  supreme  effort,  that  frightful 
deathly  contest  at  Franklin,  on  that  November  day  thirty  years 
ago,  will  for  a  moment  think  that  soldierly  courage  or  devotion 
has  in  the  least  degenerated  from  the  high  standard  of  those  old 
heroic  days.  Neither  will  they  believe  the  high  mark  there  set 
will  readily  be  reached  or  overtopped  by  those  who  are  to  fol- 
low. It  is  not  to  be  understood,  however,  that  the  gallantry  or 
courage  or  heroism  brought  out  in  this  battle  was  all  upon  one 
side  or  under  one  flag.  The  men  who  wore  the  grey,  misguided 
though  they  were,  are  not  in  soldierly  bearing  to  be  disparaged, 
and  their  deeds  were  worthy  a  far  better  cause;  and  in  these  men, 
comrades,  you  surely  found  foemen  worthy  of  your  steel. 

While  it  is  certain  that  all  will  deplore  the  awful  results  on 
this  occasion,  that  none  will  feel  exultant  or  boastful  over  the 
misery  of  a  fallen  foe  or  the  friends  left  to  mourn  them,  yet  it 
could  not  be  otherwise,  and  I  am  glad,  nay  proud,  that  you, 
comrades,  you  and  your  companions,  were  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency. 

The  writer  esteems  it  a  high  privilege,  a  proud  honor,  to  be 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  205 

allowed  to  call  comrades  the  men  of  the  Seventy-fourth  who  here 
filled  the  breach,  who  stood  in  the  very  center  of  this '  awful 
whirlpool  of  battle,  freely  offering  their  lives  and  doing  their  full 
share  of  the  work  necessary  to  drive  the  exultant  foe  from  the 
vantage  ground,  and  wrest  from  his  grasp  the  victory  already 
considered  won. 

Major  Sanders,  of  French's  (Confederate)  division,  who 
writes  the  article  upon  Franklin  for  Southern  Bivouac,  speaks  of 
the  charge  in  these  words:  "Opdycke's  brigade,  in  reserve  near 
the  Carter  house,  at  once  rushed  to  the  captured  line  and  in  a 
fierce  and  bloody  combat  heroically  regained  the  entrenched  line 
at  the  Columbia  pike  and  held  it.  Here  the  conflict  raged  with 
intense  fury,  the  struggle  for  the  possession  of  the  works  being 
maintained  with  great  stubbornness  and  tenacity,  the  combat- 
ants in  the  fur}'  of  the  bloody  strife  fighting  with  bayonets  and 
clubbed  muskets.  These  reserves  saved  the  day  to  Schofield, 
and  rescued  the  broken  and  captured  center  of  his  line  with  a 
gallantry  and  heroism  reflecting  honor  on  the  uniform  they  wore 
and  the  flag  under  which  they  fought." 

With  the  reoccupation  of  the  earthworks  along  the  line  of 
the  broken  center  by  the  Union  troops,  the  Confederate  troops, 
which  had  been  driven  back,  sought  shelter  close  up  to  and  un- 
der them,  upon  the  opposite  side,  and  here  many  of  them  remain- 
ed until  the  retreat  of  the  Union  troops  at  11:00  o'clock,  p.  m. 
Meantime  those  which  had  been  driven  back  out  of  range  along 
the  whole  line  had  reformed,  and  with  the  reserves  repeated  the 
assault  again,  and  again  and  again,  each  time,  however,  growing 
weaker  and  weaker,  while  with  every  effort  their  losses  became 
greater.  With  nothing  in  the  way,  as  had  been  the  case  with  the 
first  assault,  the  fire  of  the  Union  guns  at  short  range  over  the 
open  front  of  their  lines,  became  simply  murderous.  Hundreds 
of  men  were  shot  to  rags,  and  torn  out  of  all  semblance  of  human 
shape.  The  wounded,  falling  in  the  various  assaults,  were  left 
lying  over  that  smooth  meadow  helpless  where  they  fell,  and  in 
the  succeeding  attacks  were  run  over  and  trampled  to  death  by 
their  friends.  They,  too  were  exposed  continually  to  the  terri- 
ble and  deadly  fire  from  the  Union  lines.  Their  pleadings  for 
help,  which  could  not  be  rendered,  were  pitiful  indeed. 

Many  of  the  Union  regiments  were  armed  with  the  improved 
repeating  arms,  notably  Casement's  brigade  of  the  Twenty-third 


206  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

corps,  and  were  able  to  deliver  a  fire  that  seemed  a  living  fringe 
of  flame.  Here  in  front  of  Casement's  command  the  Confeder- 
ates officially  declare  that  in  the  whole  history  of  war  men  were 
never  killed  and  wounded  with  the  rapidity  which  the  troops  of 
Walthall's  division  suffered  in  this  attack  upon  him. 

And  still  the  Confederate  commander  was  unsatisfied  and 
undismayed.  Broken  batallions  were  reformed,  and  again  and 
again  was  the  attack  renewed,  until  darkness  and  utter  weariness 
put  an  end  to  the  sickening  slaughter. 

Although  successfully  resisting  and  holding  back  the  Con- 
federates, giving  them  a  repulse  so  bloody,  it  makes  one  shud- 
der to  think  of  the  appalling  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  inflicted 
upon  them.  With  all  our  confidence  in  our  ability  to  hold  them 
back,  at  least,  upon  the  Union  front,  Gen.  Schofield  thought 
otherwise,  and  declared  the  position  untenable. 

About  9:00  o'clock,  p.  m.  preparations  were  made  to  evacu- 
ate and  retreat  to  Nashville,  nineteen  miles  north. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  trains  were  already  safe  in  Nash- 
ville, having  been  moved  all  the  afternoon  under  the  protection 
of  the  cavalry. 

Thus  it  was  that  one  regiment  and  brigade  after  another  was 
quietly  withdrawn  from  the  works,  marched  down  to  and  across 
the  bridge,  reforming  upon  the  north  bank;  and  when  all  had 
crossed,  about  11:30  or  perhaps  12:00  o'clock  midnight,  moved 
out  upon  the  road  in  retreat  for  Nashville. 

During  the  excitement  and  carelessness  of  the  hurried  evac- 
uation, some  of  the  prisoners  within  our  lines  discovering  that 
the  Federal  forces  were  retreating,  set  fire  to  a  number  of  build- 
ings, hoping  thereby  to  light  up  the  whole  space  within  the  Union 
lines,  and  thus  show  their  friends  outside  the  condition  of  things 
and  enable  them  to  successfully  renew  the  attack. 

The  Federal  soldiers,  however,  turned  in  and  put  out  the 
fires,  and  all  were  able  to  cross  the  river  in  safety.  The  wound- 
ed had  to  be  left  in  the  hastily  improvised  hospitals,  surgeons 
remaining  with  them;  and  here  we  found  many  of  them  upon  up- 
on our  return  trip  after  the  battle  of  Nashville,  which  occurred 
two  weeks  later.  Some  of  the  wounded  left  at  Franklin  were 
sent  south  as  prisoners  to  Andersonville,  Few  of  these  suffer- 
ing ones  were  able  to  withstand  the  privations  and  hardships  of 
this  horrible  prison,  and  there  died. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  207 

About  midnight  the  Confederates,  thinking  we  were  evacu- 
ating, opened  a  furious  cannonade  upon  our  deserted  lines,  and, 
getting  no  reply  soon  discovered  we  were  gone,  and  entered  the 
place. 

By  that  time,  however,  the  bridges  were  broken  or  burned, ' 
and  Schofield's  columns  were  well  on  their  way  towards  Nash- 
ville. The  troops  had  nearly  all  been  in  constant  motion  during 
the  past  forty-eight  hours,  and  subjected  to  as  great  a  strain, 
mentally  and  physically,  as  it  is  possible  for  flesh  and  blood  to 
bear.  Here  on  the  road,  when  present  safety  became  assured, 
came  the  relaxation.  Worn  out,  exhausted  nature  asserted  it- 
self, and  the  men  slept,  if  not  sweetly,  oh !  how  soundly,  as  they 
stumbled  along  over  a  strange  road  during  that  night's  march. 
A  strange  spectacle,  indeed  !  Thousands  of  men  marching  mile 
after  mile  as  sound  asleep  as  ever  they  were  in  their  lives. 

Sunrise  on  the  morning  of  December  1st  found  us  rubbing 
our  eyes  and  waking  up  at  the  foot  of  Brentwood  Hills,  six  miles 
south  of  Nashville,  which  place  we  reached  safely  by  easy  march- 
ing during  the  morning.  Here,  next  morning,  we  were  visited 
by  those  high  in  authority,  and  publicly  received  the  thanks  of 
the  nation,  as  well  (as  he  expressed  it)  as  the  earnest,  heartfelt 
thanks  of  the  grandest  Roman  of  them  all,  Gen.  Geo.  H.  Thom- 
as, for  services  rendered  at  Franklin. 

Our  brigade  commander,  Col.  Opdycke,  received  finally  the 
commissions  of  Brigadier  and  Major-General,  the  only  instance 
of  the  kind  which  occurred  during  the  war.  As  Chaplain  Petti- 
bone  poetically  put  it,  his  eagles  took  flight  and  soared  among 
the  stars.  Various  writers  have  shown  the  bearing  of  the  battle 
of  Franklin  upon  the  final  success  gained  at  Nashville.  This 
point  was  more  aptly  or  tersely  made  during  the  battle  of  Nash- 
ville by  a  comrade  of  the  Seventy-fourth  than  in  anything  which 
I  have  read.  It  was  while  charging  the  stone  wall  on  the  first 
evening  of  the  first  day's  battle. 

We  had  already  easily  driven  them  from  two  advantageous 
positions,  and  here  again  they  ran  like  sheep.  The  comrade, 
becoming  disgusted  with  that  sort  of  thing,  exclaimed:  "See 
'em,  see  'em  go ;  they  had  the  wire  edge  took  off  from  them 
at  Franklin,  and,  blast  'em,  they  wont  fight." 

Here,  at  Nashville,  ended  the  first  chapter  of  this  campaign. 
Here  were  reinforcements  which  gave  the  Union  army  the  pre- 


208  NINTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

ponderance  of  numbers  and  assured  success  in  the  impending 
struggle.  The  prominent  points  of  the  campaign  were  the  re- 
treat from  Columbia,  and  the  resulting  battles  of  Spring  Hill 
and  Franklin.  Officers  high  in  authority  disagree  (rather  sharp- 
ly so),  and  are  inclined  to  find  fault  one  with  another,  and  to  ig- 
nore or  disparage  the  services  of  this  command  or  that;  but  to 
those  who  marched  at  the  front,  and  stood  watchful  and  ready 
at  Spring  Hill,  or  saw  the  battle  at  Franklin  from  the  vicinity  of 
the  Columbia  pike,  there  can  be  no  belittling  or  disparaging  any 
one,  as  they  thought  they  surely  saw  glory  enough  to  go  around. 
In  the  language  of  B.  F.  Taylor,  "Bright  honor's  self  might  well 
have  followed  the  hindmost." 


At  the  request  of  the  committee,  Robert  Simpson  of  Co.  C, 
has  prepared  the  following  statement  respecting  the  movement 
of  the  Federal  troops  from  Spring  Hill  to  Franklin,  Tenn.,  in 
November,  1864  : 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT. 


209 


Copy  of  Diagram  showing  the  position  of  the  1st  Brigade,  2nd  Division,  4th  Army 
Corps,  on  the  retreat  from  Spring  Hill  to  Franklin,  Nov.  30th,  1864. 


36th  111. 


73d  111. 


Co.  C  74th  111. 


88th  111. 

II  M  I  I  II  I  ! 


Rebel 


24th  Wis. 


44th  111. 


Reserve  Skirmishers 


— 


Skirmishers. 

I    I   I    I    I   I    I   I   I    I   I   I   I   I   I 


Cavalry. 


210  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 


JUDGE  HENRY  V.  FREEMAN'S  ADDRESS. 

Comrades,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  :  At  this  late  hour  you  will 
not  expect  me  to  detain  you  with  any  long  speech.  We  have 
been  listening  to-night  to  the  story  of  one  of  the  most  dramatic 
battles  of  the  war  for  the  Union.  It  is  a  story  of  surpassing  in- 
terest, in  view  of  the  most  creditable  and  important  part  which 
the  Seventy-fourth  had  in  that  action. 

I  wondered,  as  the  story  was  being  retold  this  evening, 
whether  or  not  you  realized  what  it  meant  when  the  Seventy- 
fourth,  with  the  rest  of  Opdycke's  brigade,  sprang  forward  at 
that  critical  moment  into  the  "deadly  breach"  which  the  charg- 
ing Confederates  had  made  in  the  Union  line  of  defense.  Recall 
for  a  moment  the  situation.  Because  "some  one  had  blunder- 
ed," two  brigades  of  Wagner's  division  had  been  left  solitary  and 
alone,  half  a  mile  in  front  of  the  main  Union  line.  When  the 
fierce  oncoming  rush  of  the  Confederates  reached  them,  flanking 
them  on  either  side,  there  was  no  alternative  for  them  but  to  re- 
tire as  rapidly  as  possible  to  the  main  line,  or  else  be  swallowed 
up  by  the  advancing  flood;  and,  of  course,  as  they  retired,  the 
Confederates  followed  behind  and  with  them,  protected  by  these 
retreating  troops  from  the  fire  of  the  main  Union  line. 

That  Confederate  line  of  battle  was  composed  of  too  old  and 
experienced  soldiers  not  to  see  the  advantage  of  this  situation. 
With  the  cry,  "let  us  go  into  the  works  with  them,"  and  the  old 
familiar  "rebel  yell,"  both  friend  and  foe  came  pouring  over  the 
Union  line  of  defense  in  an  almost  undistinguishable  mass. 
Thus  the  troops  at  this  point  were  partially  swept  away,  leaving 
for  the  moment  the  breastwork  and  a  number  of  cannon  in  the 
hands  of  the  Confederates.  A  breach  had  been  made  at  the  first 
onset,  and  the  exultant  Confederates  for  the  moment  doubtless 
regarded  the  Union  works  as  won. 

Then  it  was  that  the  troops  of  Opdycke's  brigade,  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth among  them,  sprang  forward  into  the  deadly  breach. 
The  guns  were  recaptured,  the  Confederates  were  repulsed,  a 
new  line  of  defense  was  formed,  and  over  that  intervening  space 
for  hours  there  raged  one  of  the  fiercest  conflicts  of  the  war,  un- 
til darkness  and  exhaustion,  and  the  absolute  repulse  of  the  reb- 
el charge,  finally  ended  the  terrible  slaughter  of  the  day. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  211 

If  on  no  other  occasion  of  the  war  the  old  regiment  had  ren- 
dered conspicuous  service,  what  it  did  there  would  have  amply 
justified  its  existence.  It  has  been  stated  before  at  these  reun- 
ions, but  ought  to  be  remembered  in  this  connection,  that  the 
next  day  Gen.  Wood,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the 
Fourth  corps,  when  Gen.  Stanley  was  wounded  in  the  battle, 
rode  up  with  Gen.  George  H.  Thomas,  and  calling  out  Col. 
George  W.  Smith,  of  the  Eighty-eighth,  who  was  in  command 
of  both  his  own  and  the  Seventy-fourth  regiments,  consolidated 
for  the  time  being,  said  to  him:  "Col.  Smith,  I  desire  to  repeat 
to  you  to-day,  in  the  presence  of  Gen.  Thomas,  what  I  said  to 
you  yesterday,  that  it  is  owing  to  the  conduct  of  yourself  and 
men  that  we  saved  the  battle  yesterday,  at  Franklin." 

It  is  a  good  thing  sometimes  for  a  man  to  ask  himself  if  the 
world  is  any  the  better  for  his  having  lived  in  it.  Whatever 
answer  we  may  give  to  this  question  to  ourselves,  every  man  of 
the  Seventy-fourth  who  took  part  in  that  counter  charge  at  Frank- 
lin, can  at  least  reply  that  he  has  helped  to  render  one  conspic- 
uous service  in  her  hour  of  need  to  the  land  which  gave  him  birth. 
His  country  at  least  was  the  better  then  because  he  lived  and 
served  her.  And  the  world  is  better  now,  and  will  always  be 
better,  because  of  such  examples  of  heroic  daring  and  patriotic 
devotion. 

The  proud  satisfaction  in  the  memory  of  service  faithfully 
rendered  is  something  which  the  growing  years  cannot  take  away. 
The  present  generation  knows  only  as  history  the  story  of  those 
stirring  days,  which  to  us  is  vivid  recollection.  I  thought  to- 
day, as  our  attenuated  line  moved  along  the  street,  while  the 
passers  by  looked  curiously  on,  of  that  September  Sabbath, 
when  the  Seventy-fourth — a  thousand  strong — young  and  vigor- 
ous, marched  down  the  street  from  its  camp  to  take  the  train  for 
the  front.  There  were  cheers  and  tears;  there  were  crowded 
streets;  the  churches  were  deserted,  and  the  city  came  as  one 
man  to  bid  farewell  to  the  men,  many  of  whom  looked  that  day 
for  the  last  time  upon  the  faces  of  friends  they  left  behind. 

But  let  us  not  forget  that,  if  occasion  demanded,  the  young 
men  of  to-day  would  spring  as  readily  at  the  country's  call  to 
arms  as  did  the  youth  of  our  boyhood  years.  And  even  now, 
after  thirty  years,  the  old  fire  of  patriotism  has  not  yet  died  out 
in  the  hearts  of  the  nation's  defenders  of  '65,  When  but  a  few 


212  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

weeks  ago  the  public  peace  and  order  were  threatened  by  mob 
violence  over  a  considerable  portion  of  the. public  domain,  no 
men  were  more  ready  than  the  old  soldiers  of  1865  to  offer  their 
service  for  the  restoration  of  obedience  to  law.  And  none  ap- 
proved more  heartily  than  they  the  firm  stand  taken  by  the  Pres- 
ident and  the  measures  by  him  adopted  to  that  end. 

Wars  have  not  yet  ceased  among  men.  The  swords  have 
not  yet  all  been  beaten  into  ploughshares,  nor  the  spears  into 
pruning  hooks.  If  history  should  repeat  inself  in  our  land, 
another  war  of  some  kind  would  not  be  far  away.  For  since 
early  Colonial  times  there  have  not  been  many  periods  of  peace 
extending  beyond  the  nearly  thirty  years  which  have  passed 
since  you  and  I,  my  comrades,  laid  aside  bur  swords  and  guns, 
and  took  up  the  occupations  of  peaceful  life.  But  a  country 
that  is  worth  having  is  worth  fighting  for.  if  need  there  be.  And 
there  are  some  things  worse  even  than  war. 

But  however  that  may  be,  with  the  old  soldier  of  the  Union 
"the  past  at  least  is  secure."  And  it  remains  for  us  now,  as  the 
shadows  of  life  lengthen,  to 

"  So  live,  that  when  thy  summons  comes  to  join 
The  innumerable  caravan  that  moves 
To  the  pale  realms  of  shade,  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death, 
Thou  go  not,  like  the  quarry  slave  at  night, 
-Scourged  to  his  dungeon,  but  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

After  another  song,  "The  Old  Yellow  Pumpkin,"  given  by 
Dr.  McAffee  in  his  own  inimitable  fashion,  the  secretary  read 
the  following  letter  from  Mr.  M.  B.  Carter,  of  Franklin,  Tenn., 
around  whose  buildings  occurred  the  decisive  struggle  of  that 
battle: 

FRANKLIN,  Tenn.,  Dec.  4,  1884. 

MR.  EDWARD  BLACK,  Jesup,  Iowa — Dear  Sir:  Allow  me  to 
assure  you  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  reply  to  your  very  courteous 
letter  of  17th  ult. ,  and  avail  myself  of  this,  the  first  favorable  op- 
portunity of  doing  so.  The  scene  that  greeted  your  eyes  at  9:00 
p.  m.  of  the  battle  was  doubtless  horrible  enough;  imagination 
may,  imperfectly  at  best,  convey  a  true  picture  of  the  morning. 
The  situation  was  peculiarly  distressing  to  us.  Many  of  our 
brothers,  kindred  and  friends  for  years,  had  been  denied  the 
pleasure  of  revisiting  the  old  homestead  and  the  loved  ones 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  213 

there.  This  campaign  of  Hood's  offered  a  chance.  Though  cov- 
ered with  tatters,  and  many  barefooted,  they  eagerly  sought  the 
coveted  opportunity  of  seeing  once  again  the  homes  of  their 
childhood.  But,  alas  !  after  braving  heroically  the  privations 
and  hardships  of  that  rugged  and  toilsome  march,  they  were 
doomed  to  bitter  disappointment.  Death  met  some  at  the  very 
threshold  of  home.  Others  were  permitted  to  come  in  sight,  and 
closed  their  eyes  in  death  on  the  fated  field  without  a  greeting 
or  word  of  solace  from  those  they  loved  so  dearly.  It  was  indeed 
a  terrible  thing  to  both  sides;  but  under  the  circumstances,— 
after  so  long  an  absence; — not  only  that,  but  cut  off  trom  all 
communication,  it  seems  the  anguish  was  painfully  intensified,  to 
come  so  near  a  realization  of  their  fondest  hopes,  indeed  the 
fondest  hope  of  all,  and  then  to  fail. 

It's  over  now,  and,  bad  as  it  was,  thank  God  it  was  no 
worse.  The  incident  of  the  little  boys  you  refer  to  I  never  heard 
before — suppose,  however,  they  escaped  unharmed,  or  1  would 
probably  have  heard  of  it.  There  were  several  families  in  our 
house  at  the  time  among  the  residents  here.  In  addition  thereto 
were  a  neighboring  family  or  two  who  took  refuge  with  us,  con- 
sidering the  brick  building  safer  than  their  frame  ones.  I  count- 
ed in  the  yard  next  morning  fifty  seven  dead  Federal  soldiers, 
and  several  Confederates.  The  Federal  soldiers  were  removed 
to  the  national  cemetery  near  Nashville,  the  Confederates  to  a 
cemetery  near  the  battle  field,  the  ground  for  the  purpose  being 
donated  by  a  public  spirited  patriotic  gentleman,  and  the  ex- 
penses paid  by  private  subscription.  The  dwelling  and  other 
buildings  look  very  much  as  they  did  when .  you  saw  them, 
though  not  so  desolate  as  then,  as  improvements  have  been  made, 
and  they  present  more  the  appearance  of  a  peaceful  civilization. 
The  general  aspect  of  the  country  has  undergone  a  wonderful 
change.  You  could  hardly  credit  your  senses  were  you  sudden- 
ly transported  hither.  Instead  of  fenceless,  uncultivated,  deso- 
late farms,  verdant  fields,  thrifty  orchards,  blooming  gardens, 
and  almost  countless  fresh  looking,  homelike  dwellings  present 
themselves  to  view.  The  recuperative  energies  of  our  people 
are  simply  astonishing.  Photographers  have  frequently  visited 
the  place  and  taken  pictures  of  the  many  different  views.  I  had 
one  or  two  given  me,  but  have  none  now.  The  last  taken  that  I 
know  of  was  for  Scribner's  Century,  which  I  was  told  would  come 
out  some  time  during  next  year.  The  artist  said  the  Century 
would  publish  a  description  of  ail  the  battles  of  the  war,  with 
suitable  engravings,  beginning  with  the -first  and  consecutively 
to  the  last.  The  old  gin  house  not  only  stands,  but  is  enlarged 
and  improved  for  greater  usefulness.  I  forgot  to  say  that  not 
one  of  any  of  the  families  in  the  house  during  the  battle  was 
hurt.  I  had  a  brother,  a  captain  on  Gen.  Smith's  staff,  mortally 
wounded  on  the  field  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  house.  He 


214  NINTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

survived  about  thirty-six  hours  after  we  brought  him  to  the 
house.  Should  you  by  any  chance  ever  revisit  this  place,  I 
would  be  pleased  to  see  you.  I  was  a  soldier  in  the  rebellion — 
was  a  rebel,  also  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  have  a  kindly 
regard  for  not  only  those  of  my  own  side,  but  for  those  who 
fought  against  me.  I  can't  say  as  much,  however,  for  those  who 
furnished  substitutes  and  still  continue  the  warfare. 

Respectfully  yours,  M.  B.  CARTER. 

The  president  then  being  called  upon  said  that  he  believed 
that  the  interest  in  these  great  gatherings  increased  as  the  years 
went  by;  that  he  knew  it  was  so  with  the  old  soldiers  themselves, 
and  with  those  who  were  not  soldiers,  but  whose  recollections 
went  back  to  the  times  of  the  war.  That  as  we  grew  older  we 
naturally  lived  more  and  mpre  in  the  past,  we  turned  back  more 
and  more  to  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  other  days;  and  that, 
however  successful  we  may  have  been  in  life,  whatever  honors 
may  have  come  to  us,  we  always  went  back  to  the  time  of  the  war 
with  the  most  pride  and  satisfaction,  we  always  went  hack  to  the 
time  when  we  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  these  men  as  the 
most  glorious  period  of  our  lives;  that  we  did  not  wish  to  forget  it, 
and  did  not  wish  others  to  forget  it.  He  also  said  that  he  believed 
this  interest  was  not  confined  to  the  old  soldiers,  or  the  older  mem- 
bers of  the  community,  but  was  shared  by  all  alike;  that  the  very 
general  observance  of  Memorial  Day  was  in  evidence,  and  that 
last  spring,  when  the  Illinois  Department  G.  A.  R.  met  here, 
everyone,  without  regard  to  age  or  party,  did  all  they  could  to 
make  that  meeting  a  success;  that  there  was  an  enthusiasm  and 
patriotic  ardor  on  the  part  of  all  not  seen  here  since  war  time; 
that  these  gatherings  were  not  only  pleasant  to  those  who  took 
part  in  them,  but  he  believed  they  served  a  good  and  patriotic 
purpose, 

Short  speeches  were  also  made  by  Col.  Thomas  G.  Lawler, 
comrades  Hawthorne,  Talbot  and  others,  when  the  president 
called  upon  Maj.  Roper  to  sing  "Taps,"  and  the  lights  were  put 
out  for  another  year. 


Gen.  Philip  Sidney  Post,  representative  in  Congress  from 
the  Tenth  Illinois  District,  and  first  brigade  commander  of  the 
Seventy-fourth  Illinois,  died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  on  Sunday, 
the  6th  day  of  January,  1895.  At  a  meeting  of  the  members  of 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  215 

the  regiment  residing  in  Rockford,  held  on  the  7th  inst. ,  such 
action  was  taken  as  is  indicated  in  the  following  communication: 

HEADQUARTERS  SEVENTY-FOURTH  ILLINOIS  ASSOCIATION, 

Rockford,  111.,  January  7,  1895. 
MRS.  PHILIP  SIDNEY  POST,   Galesburg,   111. — Dear  Madam  : 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  society  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Il- 
linois, this  day  held  at  Rockford,  111.,  the  following  action  was 
taken  regarding  tne  death  of  your  husband,  General  Post,  and 
the  undersigned  were  directed  to  communicate  the  same  to  you. 

The  surviving  members  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Illinois,  so 
long  in  the  brigade  commanded  by  Gen.  Philip  Sidney  Post,  in 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  desire  to  express  to  his  widow  and 
children  the  real  sympathy  which  they  feel  for  them  in  this  hour 
of  bereavement. 

The  wife  and  children  have  lost  a  husband  and  father;  every 
member  of  his  old  brigade  has  lost  a  friend. 

For  whatever  reputation  our  regiment  acquired  in  the  dis- 
charge of  its  duty  in  march  and  battle,  it  was  indebted  more  than 
to  any  other  cause  to  the  careful  instruction  and  kindly  advice 
of  Gen.  Post  in  the  early  days  of  its  service. 

We  bear  willing  testimony  not  only  to  his  great  efficiency 
as  an  officer,  but  to  his  sterling  qualities  as  a  man. 

He  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  yet  was  loved  by  all. 
He  was  brave  to  a  fault,  and  yet  was  never  rash.  He  never 
spared  himself,  but  was  careful  of  his  men.  His  was  a  patriot- 
ism that  responded  to  the  first  call  of  his  country,  and  notwith- 
standing wounds  of  the  severest  character,  endured  even  unto 
the  end.  JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,  President. 

H.  P.  HOLLAND,  Secretary. 


[Philip  Sidney  Post  was  born  in  Florida,  Orange  county, 
N.  Y.,  March  19,  1833.  He  came  of  patriotic  and  military 
stock;  his  father,  Gen.  Peter  Schuyler  Post,  having  served  in 
the  war  of  1812,  and  his  grandfather  in  the  revolutionary  war. 
He  graduated  at  Union  College  in  1855,  studied  law,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  Illinois.  He  then  moved  to  Kansas, 
where  he  practiced  his  profession,  and  also  established  and  edit- 
ed a  newspaper.  Those  were  stirring  days  in  Kansas,  and  the 
young  lawyer  and  journalist  took  an  active  part  in  the  struggle 
for  freedom  in  the  territory.  As  soon  as  war  was  declared,  Gen. 
Post  left  Kansas  and  hurried  back  to  Illinois  to  enlist.  He  was 
elected  second  Lieutenant  in  the  Fifty-ninth  Illinois  Volunteers, 
and  in  eight  months,  by  successive  promotions,  as  adjutant  and 
major,  he  became  the  colonel  of  the  regiment.  At  the  battle  of 


2l6  NINTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

Pea  Ridge  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the  shoulder,  but  refused 
to  leave  the  field  until  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  commanding  offi- 
cer. Before  he  was  able  to  mount  without  assistance  he  joined 
his  regiment,  then  in  front  of  Corinth,  Miss.,  and  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  a  brigade.  From  that  time  until  the  close  of 
the  war  he  was  constantly  at  the  front.  In  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  as  first  organized,  he  commanded  the  first  brigade, 
first  division,  twentieth  army  corps,  from  its  formation  until  its 
dissolution.  His  brigade  began  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  and 
drove  the  enemy  back  several  miles  and  captured  Leetown. 
During  the  Atlanta  campaign  he  was  transferred  to  Gen.  T.  J. 
Wood's  division  of  the  fourth  army  corps,  and  when  Gen.  Wood 
was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Lovejoy  Station,  Gen.  Post  fook 
command  of  the  division  and  checked  the  progress  of  the  enemy 
to  the  north. 

Gen,  Post's  military  career  found  a  fitting  climax  at  the 
battle  of  Nashville.  December  loth,  1864,  he  twice  successfully 
assaulted  the  enemy's  works;  as  the  official  reports  say — "taking 
the  initiative,  and  inciting  the  rest  of  the  army  to  the  brilliant 
deeds  of  the  day."  The  following  morning,  while  leading  his 
brigade  in  a  charge  against  Overton's  Hill,  the  most 
formidable  position  ,of  the  enemy,  he  fell  almost  within 
the  hostile  breastworks.  A  grapeshot  had  crushed  through  his 
hip,  making  what  for  some  days  was  regarded  as  a  mortal  wound. 
For  his  gallantry  at  Nashville  he  was  brevetted  a  brigadier-gen- 
eral, and  received  a  medal  of  honor  from  congress.  After  four 
months  in  the  hospital  he  again  reported  for  duty,  and  was  as- 
signed to  the  command  of  the  western  district  of  Texas,  where 
sixteen  regiments  had  been  concentrated.  He  remained  there 
until  1866,  when  the  withdrawal  of  the  French  from  Mexico  re- 
moved all  danger  of  military  complication.  Gen.  George  H. 
Thomas  earnestly  recommended  him  for  a  colonelcy  in  the  reg- 
ular army,  saying,  "I  know  of  no  officer  of  Gen.  Post's  grade 
who  has  made  a  better  or  more  brilliant  record;"  but  peace  hav- 
ing been  declared,  he  did  not  wish  to  remain  in  the  army. 

In  1866  Gen.  Post  was  appointed  consul  to  Vienna,  Austria- 
Hungary,  and  later  was  promoted  to  consul-general.  His  offi- 
cial reports  were  voluminous  and  are  quoted  as  authority,  among 
them  an  elaborate  report  on  beet  sugar  culture  and  manufacture, 
the  Austrian  railway  system,  and  the  protection  of  American  in- 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  217 

venters.  He  also  recommended  the  inspection  of  American 
meat  exports,  and,  curiously,  fifteen  years  later,  as  a  member  of 
congress,  voted  for  such  a  law  which  he  had  been  the  first  to 
recommend. 

Resigning  in  1879  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Galesburg,  and 
at  once  took  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs.  For  several 
years  he  was  a  member-at-large  of  the  republican  state  central 
committee.  In  1886  he  was  commander  of  the  department  of 
Illinois,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  The  same  year  he  was 
elected  to  congress  in  the  Peoria  district,  defeating  Nicholas  E. 
Worthington  by  twenty-nine  votes.  Worthington  contested, 
but  Gen.  Post  beat  him  in  a  democratic  House.  Three  succes- 
sive renominations  by  acclamation  and  increasing  majorities  at 
the  polls  prove  his  popularity  with  his  party  and  the  people. 
By  the  new  apportionment  he  was  thrown  into  the  Rock  Island 
district,  and  although  four  new  counties  were  thus  added,  and 
only  two  of  his  old  counties  left,  the  new  tenth  district  paid  him 
the  compliment  of  a  unanimous  nomination,  which  the  people 
indorsed  by  giving  him  13,000  plurality  at  the  recent  election. 

In  caring  for  the  interests  of  his  district,  representative 
Post  had  been  remarkably  successful.  It  was  the  boast  of  his 
friends  that  the  tenth  district  had  never  asked  anything  from  its 
representative  which  he  had  not  secured  for  it.  He  was  an 
earnest  and  consistent  advocate  of  the  rights  of  the  soldiers,  and 
sought  to  place  pension  legislation  upon  a  basis  of  right  and  his- 
torical precedent  instead  of  charity.  He  was  an  outspoken  ad- 
vocate of  bimetallism,  and  believed  that  the  United  States  should 
do  something  to  secure  it.  If  his  views  on  this  question  varied 
from  his  party,  it  is  characteristic  of  the  man  that  he  neverthe- 
less announced  them  openly  and  fearlessly. 

Gen.  Post's  career  was  not  yet  ended.  The  congressional 
nomination  in  his  district  was  practically  conceded  to  him.  His 
name  had  been  frequently  connected  with  the  senatorship,  and 
already  in  some  quarters  there  had  been  a  revival  of  the  attempt 
made  in  1892  to  induce  him  to  become  a  candidate  for  governor.  ] 

FROM    THE    WIDOW    OF    GEN.    POST. 

The  following  letter  was  received  in  reply  to  the  foregoing 

communication  : 

GALESBURG,  111.,  January  23,  1895. 

HON.   J.    H.   SHERRATT,    President    Seventy-fourth    Illinois  As- 
sociation, Rockford,  111. — My  Dear  Sir;     Among  the  many 


218  NINTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

tributes  of  love  and  respect  which  have  come  to  us,  none  is  more 
appreciated  than  the  one  from  the  members  of  the  Seventy- 
fourth  Illinois.  Gen.  Post  was  always  particularly  proud  of  the 
Seventy-fourth  regiment,  and  I  have  heard  him  say  that  he  never 
received  higher  praise  than  that  given  him  by  Mr.  Black  in  a  sketch 
of  the  campaign  in  Tennessee,  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1863, 
and  published  in  the  proceedings  of  the  third  reunion  of  your 
regiment,  held  at  Rockford  on  September  4th,  1885. 

The  blow  to  us  is  a  fearful  one;  but,  if  it  must  come,  the 
manner  of  its  coming  cannot  be  regretted. 

Gen.  Post  fell  in  the  vigor  of  manhood,  in  the  full  possession 
of  his  mental  faculties,  and  in  the  active  discharge  of  his  duties. 

The  family  join  me  in  sending  to  you,  and  every  member  of 
the  regiment,  our  heartfelt  thanks  for  this  kindly  expression  of 
your  sympathy.  Respectfully  yours, 

CORNELIA  A.   POST. 


Proceedings  Eleventh  Reunion 

September  4,  1597,  Oregon,  Illinois 


BUSINESS   MEETING. 

Survivors  of  the  regiment  met  in  eleventh  reunion,  at  Ore- 
gon, 111,  September  4th,  1897.  A  business  meeting  was  held  in 
the  afternoon,  at  which  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,  President. 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

James  S.  Cowen Company  A 

A.  W.  Thompson "  B 

H.  P.  Holland "  C 

Thos.  W.  Cole "  D 

Elias  Cosper "  E 

Levi  S.  Sanders "  F 

A.  Matmiller "  G 

Oscar  Franklin "  H 

D.  G.  Spaulding «  I 

John  M.  Fraley "  K 

JOHN  W.  BEATSON,  Sec'y  and  Treas. 

It  was  moved  and  carried  that  the  next  reunion  of  the  regi- 
ment be  held  at  Rockford,  111.,  on  October  8th,  1899,  or  as  near 
that  date  as  practicable,  the  exact  date  to  be  announced  by  the 
officers  elected  this  day. 

In  the  evening  a  camp-fire  of  members  of  the  regiment,  with 
citizens  and  others,  filling  the  large  hall  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  in  the 
Oregon  court  house,  was  presided  over  b)'  president  J.  F.  Haw- 
thorne, of  Co.  G.  After  singing  by  a  glee  club,  who  kindly  vol- 
unteered their  services,  Hon.  Franc  Bacon,  mayor  of  Oregon, 
— a  son  of  Capt.  Bacon,  of  the  regiment,  who  fell  so  gallantly 
at  the  desperate  charge  on  Kenesaw — then  delivered  the  follow- 
ing address  of  welcome; 


220 

Mr.  President  and  Members  of  the  Seventy-fourth  Regiment  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry:  As  I  look  in  the  faces  of  these  veterans 
gathered  here  I  can  recall  the  fact  that  in  the  few  short  years  in- 
tervening since  I  had  the  pleasant  duty  of  extending  to  your 
regiment  the  hearty  welcome  of  the  Gem  City  of  the  Rock,  a 
number  tnen  present  are  not  with  us  to-night.  Again  I  am  del- 
egated to  say  that  it  is  the  wish  of  the  people  of  this  city  that 
you  may  visit  us  on  many  future  occasions,  and  with  undecimat- 
ed  ranks.  I  am  reminded,  in  looking  over  those  assembled  here 
to-night,  that  many  who  escaped  the  leaden  hail  and  iron  storms 
of  Perryville,  Rocky  Face,  Lost  Mountain,  Resaca,  Mission 
Ridge,  Franklin,  Adairsville,  Dallas,  Smyrna,  Liberty  Gap, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  Kenesaw,  Columbia,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro  and 
Nashville  with  wrecked  physical  systems,  have  now  fallen  ready 
victims  to  the  grim  reaper. 

Over  their  last  resting  places,  as  over  those  of  your  comrades 
gone  before,  we  may  well  say : 

"Here  lurks  no  treason,  here  no  envy  swells  : 
Here  grow  no  damned  grudges  ;  here  no  storms, 
No  noise, — but  silence  and  eternal  sleep." 

The  very  few  of  the  once  powerful  regiment  who  are  now 
permitted  to  gather  with  us  can  well  feel  that  all  the  sacrifices 
of  the  great  war  were  not  made  for  an  ungrateful  people;  and 
though  at  times  it  may  have  seemed  to  you  that  the  government, 
through  its  officials,  or  perhaps  many  of  the  consituents  thereof, 
had  too  soon  forgotten  your  valiant  struggles,  yet  remember  that 
all  the  true  men  and  women  of  this  republic  still  have  for  you  a 
warm  place  in  their  hearts.  This  is  a  patriotic  nation;  for  this 
republic  of  ours  had  its  corner  stone  laid  on  the  bones  of  the  glo- 
rious dead  of  '76,  and  its  keystone  arch  cemented  with  the  brave 
blood  of  '61  to  '65. 

We  love  our  country,  its  flag  and  its  gallant  defenders,  both 
living  and  dead.  It  was  in  1814,  when  the  British  invader  was 
near  the  seat  of  government,  that  the  poet,  Key,  so  enthused 
with  the  patriotic  ardor  of  the  time,  gave  us  the  "Star  Spangled 
Banner,"  and  prophetically  sang: 

"  Then  conquer  we  must,  where  our  cause  it  is  just." 
******** 

"  And  the  star  spangled  banner  in  triumph  shall  wave 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave.'' 

How,  as  by  inspiration,  he  saw  that  in  this  great  republic  of 
ours,  from  the  pine  lined  Penobscot  to  the  shining  sands  of  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  t  ,  221 

majestic  Pacific;  from  the  zenith  city  of  the  unsalted  seas  to  the 
cactus-fringed  Rio  Grande,  there  was  room  for  but  one  flag  and 
one  nation;  and  the  furling  of  the  stars  and  bars  at  Appomattox 
was  an  event  that  was  as  sure  to  take  place  as  that  the  night 
shall  follow  day. 

No  other  government  in  the  history  of  the  world  has  ever 
demonstrated  its  ability  to  care  for  a  country  with  a  scope  'of 
territory  anywhere  near  equalling  ours,  without  resort  to  a  mon- 
strous standing  army. 

Did  it  ever  occur  to  you  why  this  republic  of  ours,  with  its 
little  regular  army  of  numbers  never  exceeding  25,000,  is  always 
respected  by  the  great  governments  of  the  world?  -  For  an 
answer  turn  to  the  effect  of  the  first  hostile  shot  fired  at  our  na- 
tional emblem.  The  screaming  shell  hurled  at  Sumpter  was 
heard  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  this  loyal  land  of 
ours;  and  concurrent  with  the  President's  call  for  volunteers, 
the  instantaneous  tread  of  marching  feet  was  heard.  You  laid 
aside  the  plowshares  and  other  implements  of  peaceful-husband- 
ry, to  don  the  harness  of  war. 

Only  recently,  when  our  relations  with  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment breathed  of  war,  you  remember  how  suddenly  the  telegraph- 
ic wires  of  our  land  were  loaded  with  offers  of  troops  and  volun- 
teers. 

The  moment  an  insult  was  offered  the  "old  flag,"  that  in- 
stant you  ceased  to  be  democrats,  republicans  or  fusionists,  and 
both  North  and  South,  you  expressed  ready  willingness,  to  see 
that  no  stain  was  placed  upon  the  banner  you  love  so*  well. 

And  so  it  shall  always  be,  if  the  same  love  of  the  stars  and 
stripes  is  kept  alive — as  it  will  be, — and  you  and  your  posterity 
may  rest  assured  that  your  heroic  services  have  had  no  small 
part  in  fostering  this  love  of  our  flag. 

Very  few  of  the  regiments  of  the  war  were  so  quickly  brought 
to  a  realization  of  what  stern -war  was  as  yours.'  Within  ten 
days  after  your  departure  from  your  camp  among  friends  on  the 
beautiful  Rock,  you  were  brought  face  to  face  with  the  foe  at 
Perryville,  and  there,  on  the  8th  day  of  October,  you  received 
your  baptism  of  fire;  and  many  of  you  now  again:  can  hear  the 
real  old  "rebel  yell,"  as  it  floated  over  the  hill  that  day;  and 
many  of  you,  too,  can  feel  the  hair  elevating  your  caps  even  as 
you  felt  it  then. 


222  ELEVENTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

While  you  were  not  present  at  the  fall  of  the  Gibraltar  of  the 
Mississippi,  yet  the  army  of  which  you  formed  a  part  contrib- 
uted in  no  small  measure  to  bring  about  the  surrender  of  Vicks- 
burg. 

You  kept  an  active  foe  from  raising  the  siege,  and  throwing 
reinforcements  into  that  beleagured  city.  With  the  fall  of  that 
strongly  fortified  place,  so  that,  in  the  words  of  the  lamented 
Lincoln,  "the  Mississippi  ran  unvexed  to  the  sea,"  came  the 
real  death  blow  of  the  Confederacy.  It  was,  thereafter,  as  a 
gigantic  reptile  whose  backbone  was  broken;  and  while  it  was 
dangerous  to  be  in  reach  of  the  fangs,  it  was  utterly  unable  to 
cover  the  territory  formerly  swayed  by  it,  nor  was  it  thereafter 
ever  able  to  wriggle  its  slimy  shape  upon  loyal  soil. 

You  were  not  of  the  60,000  that  made  the  "march  to  the 
sea;"  but  yours  was  the  more  arduous  and  dangerous  task  of  pro- 
tecting the  North  from  a  taste  of  the  same  kind  of  invasion  that 
Sherman  was  then  making  through  Georgia.  You  were  sent 
back,  denuded  of  sufficient  transportation  and  proper  equipment, 
with  a  very  large  part  of  the  army  of  which  you  then  became  a 
part,  formed  of  convalescents,  and  you  were  sent  back  to  defend 
your  own  against  that  prince  of  fiery  fighters,  Hood,  and  to  pre- 
vent his  crossing  the  Ohio.  If  Hood  had  succeeded  in  passing 
or  defeating  the  "rock  of  the  Chickamauga,"  Gen.  Thomas, 
Gen.  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea  would  never  have  been  record- 
ed on  the  pages  of  history  as  one  of  the  new  moves  in  warfare. 
It  would  have  been,  as  all  other  military  operations  taken  before, 
where  there  was  a  severance  from  a  base  of  supplies,  a  dismal 
failure.  But,  owing  to  the  excellent  fighting  capacities  and 
clever  generalship  of  your  own  "Pap"  Thomas,  the  dangers  of 
the  rear  were  fully  cared  for. 

In  your  splendid  charge  at  Franklin,  and  in  the  heavy  blows 
delivered  in  the  two  day's  fight  at  Nashville,  you  perhaps  sawyour 
severest  services;  but  that  it  was  well  done  and  gallantly  done, 
Gen.  Stanley  bore  ready  witness  in  his  address  to  you.  You  all 
recall  the  time  and  place,  and  many  of  you  the  very  words,  your 
commander  used  that  day;  and  if  the  pages  afford  you  scant  por- 
tion, his  words  will  ring  in  your  ears  as  long  as  life  lasts,  and  his 
"well  done,  old  Seventy-fourth,"  are  as  imperishable  as  though 
graven  stone  bore  those  characters. 

It  was  at  Mission  Ridge  that  you  also  won  signal  renown. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  223 

When  you  started  on  that  charge  that  day  across  the  level  you 
came,  but  never  halting,  as  expected,  at  the  first  rifle  pits,  you 
went  on  and  on,  over  one  hostile  barricade  after  another,  and  on 
to  the  very  top  of  that  cannon- crested  ridge  you  went,  hurling 
back  the  exulting  foe  from  a  position  that  was  deemed  by  them 
to  be  very  secure.  And,  looking  back,  you  saw  your  division 
commander  closely  following  you  up  that  steep  slope,  mounted 
on  Rienzi.  Some  of  you,  perhaps,  were  part  of  those  that 
"Little  Phil,"  in  the  joy  of  that  moment  of  triumph,  grasped  by 
the  hand  as  he  shouted:  "Thank  God  we  will  have  rations  now." 

Almost  with  the  disappearance  of  Bragg's  headquarters  you 
sat  down  to  a  more  substantial  fare  than  you  had  in  Chattanoo" 
ga,  when  mule  tenderloins  and  east  wind  were  regular  parts  of 
the  bill  of  fare.  There  perhaps  was  never  another  battle  fought 
just  as  Mission  Ridge  was  fought,  and  won.  The  private  soldier 
on  that  day,  en  masse,  and  without  orders,  practically  secured  the 
unexpected  victory.  It  was  not  intended  on  that  occasion  for 
you  to  charge  at  that  time  to  the  top  of  the  Ridge,  but  you  were 
merely  to  secure  the  lower  line  and  await  the  demonstration  from 
Hooker;  but  "fighting  Joe"  was  too  slow,  and  you  won  the  day, 
much  to  the  surprise,  I  take  it,  of  both  friend  and  foe. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  the  war,  when  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  through  no  fault  of  its  private  soldiers  however,  was 
being  defeated  just  as  often  as  the  authorities  at  Washington 
could  discover  new  commanding  generals,  it  was  the  custom  of 
the  Confederate  generals  and  newspaper  writers  accompanying 
their  army  to  always  claim  that  these  victories  were  won  by  a 
very  much  inferior  force  on  their  part.  To  such  an  extent  was 
this  carried  by  the  Hills,  Early,  Anderson  and  others,  that  a 
Union  soldier  then  in  the  Eastern  army  facetiously  wrote  home: 
"A  few  more  years,  a  few  more  books,  and  it  will  appear  that 
Lee  and  Johnson,  and  a  one-armed  orderly,  and  casual  with  a 
shot  gun,  fought  all  the  battles  of  the  rebellion,  and  killed  all 
the  Union  soldiers,  except  those  who  ran  away." 

But  this  boasting  was  confined  strictly  to  the  East;  for  al- 
most with  the  opening  of  the  war  in  the  West  there  crossed  the 
threshold  of  the  rebellion  a  mighty  captain,  greater  than  Napol- 
eon, Hannibal  or  Alexander.  Under  his  leadership,  Henry  and 
Donaldson  soon  fell,  and  the  mighty  hosts  were  driven  to  the 
south.  Through  the  swamps  around  Vicksburg  he  struggled, 


224  ELEVENTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

seeking  for  some  place  to  set  his  foot;  and  then,  when  he  suc- 
ceeded, the  world  suddenly  received  the  news  that  Vicksburghad 
fallen.  But  a  new  star  had  arisen,  and  the  name  of  Grant  was 
upon  every  lip.  By  common  accord  he  was  placed  with  the 
great  generals  of  the  world/  and  if  he  had  never  been  at  Appo- 
mattox  his  name  would  have  gone  down  to  posterity  as  the  one 
general  of  the  war. 

These  reunions  bring  to  you  moments  of  pleasure,  but  sadly, 
too,  you  bow  your  heads  in  sorrow  as  you  notice  that  one  by  one 
you  are  fast  dropping  away;  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when 
you  will  have  held  your  last  gathering  and  you  will  all  be  mus- 
tered out. 

But  so  exemplary  has  been  your  conduct,  and  your  service 
in  the  past  has  been  such  that  when  the  reveillle  is  sounded  on 
the  last  great  day  we  will  see  you  one  and  all  marching  forward 
elbow  to  elbow  in  the  army  of  the  Great  Commander,  for  here, 
with  us,  you  showed  that  you  were  true  to  your  country,  to  your 
flag  and  your  God. 

To  these  eloquent  remarks  Maj.  E.  F.  Dutcher,  on  behalf 
of  the  regiment,  responded  in  his  usual  happy  vein.  Following 
came  short  impromptu  speeches  from  Rev.  Nye,  of  Oregon,  and 
Chan  Pettibone,  of  Polo.  H.  P.  Holland  being  called  for  said: 

"Knowing,  before  coming  here  to-day,  that  I  would  be  called 
upon  for  extra  duty — for  comrade  Hawthorne  never  missed  his 
opportunity  to  give  me  a  detail  which  nobody  else  wanted, — I 
naturally  cast  about  as  to  how  I  could  most  easily,  and  yet  with 
a  show  of  good  faith,  acquit  myself  of  the  task.  At  divers  times 
and  in  sundry  places  have  I  talked  to  my  comrades  of  the  Sev- 
enty-fourth, and  I,  therefore,  feel  assured  that  I  could  not  now 
make  a  speech  upon  the  old  topics  which  would  be  otherwise 
than  stale. 

For  this  reason  I  have  adopted,  for  what  I  have  to  say  here, 
the  form  of  verse,  not  of  poetry;  for,  to  paraphrase  a  couplet  of 
Longfellow's,  these  verses  "resemble  poetry  only  as  the  mist  re- 
sembles the  rain; — meaning  thereby,  I  suppose,  that  the  mist  re- 
sembles the  rain  in  having  the  quality  of  moisture,  and  that  this 
screed  resembles  poetry  in  having  the  methodical  form  of  rhyme. 

I  will  further  say  that  the  article  furnished  is  hand  made, 
and  has  none  of  the  smoothness  and  uniformity  of  finish  which 
always  distinguish  the  machine  products: 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  225 

LET  US  HAVE  PEACE. 

Stand  closer,  boys,  and  dress  the  ranks, 

For,  here  and  there,  a  broken  file 
Tells  of  some  comrade  mustered  out; 

You  halt  at  ease  awhile. 
And  still  close  up,  and,  side  by  side, 

All  touching  elbows,  firmly  stand 
Beneath  the  flag  to  hold  the  line 

That  guards  the  fatherland. 

The  years  with  silent  footsteps  pass, 

And  in  their  vista,  dim  and  gray, 
You  see  the  war-worn  hosts  again 

Stand  marshalled  for  the  fray. 
In  dreams,  again,  through  weary  days, 

To  fife's  shrill  note  and  drum's  loud  rattle, 
With  tired  feet  and  steadfast  hearts 

You  march  to  siege  and  battle. 

In  dreams  alone  !     No  more  you  form 

In  silent  ranks,  beneath  the  pines 
Nor  bugle  sounds  its  signal  call 

To  charge  the  long  gray  lines. 
So  may  it  be  through  all  the  land 

That,  rallying  to  the  flag  of  stars, 
Old  foemen,  friends  once  more,  shall  join 

To  heal  the  battle's  scars  ! 

For,  where  the  seed-time  was  of  death, 

The  harvest  stands  in  garnered  sheaves. 
While  autumn's  frost,  not  war's  red  rain, 

Shall  paint  the  verdant  leaves. 
On  fields,  where  late  in  blood  and  fire 

The  storm  of  brothers'  battle  broke, 
There  rise,  from  hearths  of  happy  homes, 

Blue  wreaths  of  peaceful  smoke. 

The  Union  shout,  the  rebel  yell, 

They  call  no  more  to  bloody  fray, 
And  those  who  strove  in  deadly  fight 

All  sing  of  peace  to-day. 
For,  richer  than  the  meed  of  war, 

The  teeming  guerdon  peace  holds  out  ; 
And,  sweeter  than  the  battle-cry, 

The  play  ing  children's  shout ! 

So,  unto  watching  shepherds,  came 

A  message  of  the  Christ-child's  birth, — 
Henceforth  among  all  men  should  be 

Good  will  and  peace  on  earth. 


226  ELEVENTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

This  one  in  gray,  and  that  in  blue, 

For  duty,  as  each  saw  it,  fought. 
We  hail  them  both,  Americans, — 

The  end  is  what  God  wrought. 

What  though  on  fields,  made  rich  by  blood, 

The  seeds  of  hate  and  strife  were  sown  ? 
The  flowers  that  bloom  above  their  graves 

Now  tell  of  peace  alone. 
While  these  for  Grant,  and  those  for  Lee, 

Each  crowns  his  own  a  chosen  son. 
None  but  a  dastard's  hand  would  steal 

The  laurels  either  won. 

And,  North  or  South,  the  sentinel 

On  duty  still  his  challenge  cries  : — 
1 '  How  is  it  with  America  ?" 

"All's  well,"  Grand  Rounds  replies. 
With  fleeting  years  the  living  ranks 

Grow  thinner  still,  as,  one  by  one, 
Slow,  passing  out  beyond  the  lines, 

They  go  from  shade  to  sun. 

"  Forward,  guide  right !"  the  last  command, 

They  answered  with  unfaltering  heart; 
With  flag  in  front  the  line  advanced, 

And  each  did  well  his  part. 
Beyond  those  lines  through  which  they  passed 

You  may  not  see  ;  you  only  know 
That,  where  the  weary  are  at  rest, 

Those  still  on  guard  must  go. 

For  those  who  fell,  or  friend  or  foe, 

We  weave  a  wreath  of  joyous  bloom 
To  mark  where  blue  and  gray  have  laid 

Old  quarrels  in  one  tomb. 
For  those  who  fell,  or  friend  or  foe, 

What  need  for  tears  ?     Out  of  the  night, 
Which  we  call  life,  they  swiftly  passed 

Into  the  morning  light. 

For  those  who  still  stand  at  the  front, 

Awaiting  there  the  roll's  last  call, 
The  answer,  bold  and  clear,  shall  be 

"Present  for  duty,  all!" 

John  H.  Sherratt,  being  called  upon  by  the  president,  spoke 
as  follows  : 

Mr.  President ',  Comrades,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  had  sup- 
posed, when  I  came  here  to-day,  that  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  read 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  227 

this  paper  of  comrade  Potter;  but  our  president  tells  me  that 
some  of  the  speakers  upon  whom  he  had  depended  have  failed 
him,  and  that  I  must  help  to  fill  in  the  time. 

I  am  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  express  my  appreciation  of 
the  splendid  hospitality  with  which  we  have  been  received.  Of 
course  it  is  not  unexpected,  for  we  have  been  here  before, — the 
last  time  some  six  years  ago, — and  we  were  then  treated  so  roy- 
ally by  the  members  of  Co.  G  and  their  friends,  (and  their  friends 
seem  to  comprise  all  the  people  of  Oregon  and  vicinity)  that  we 
have  been  trying  to  get  back  here  ever  since;  and  now  that  we 
are  here,  we  are  enjoying  every  minute  of  it. 

I  don't  know  why  it  is,  but  somehow  the  members  of  Co.  G 
always  had  a  habit  of  getting  to  the  front,  a  habit  that  the  rest 
of  us  used  to  encourage  them  in.  They  always  had  a  habit  of 
doing  things  in  the  right  way  and  at  the  right  time;  and,  as  I 
said,  I  don't  know  why  this  should  be  so,  unless  their  intimate 
connection  with  Co.  K,  a  company  to  which  I  had  the  honor  to 
belong,  might  account  for  it.  For  three  years  we  were  next  to 
them  in  line,  and  I  imagine  that  much  of  their  success  in  life  has 
been  due  to  the  good  example  that  we  set  them. 

Now,  comrades,  we  are  not  here  to-day  to  indulge  in  self- 
glorification.  There  is  no  need  of  that.  The  record  of  the 
Union  armies  has  long  since  been  made  up,  and  the  world  has 
passed  judgment  upon  it.  It  is  glory  enough  for  us  that  in  that 
grand]  army  of  the  Union  this  regiment  bore  not  only  an  honor- 
able, but  a  distinguished  part.  We  are  here  merely  to  meet  each 
other  again,  to  take  each  other  again  by  the  hand,  to  again  look 
into  each  other's  faces,  and  to  congratulate  each  other  upon  our 
generally  youthful  and  captivating  appearance. 

We  are  proud  of  those  old  days;  and  whatever  we  may  have 
been  before  the  war,  or  whatever  we  may  have  been  since,  we 
always  go  back  to  the  time  when  we  served  together,  and  follow- 
ed the  flag  with  most  pride  and  satisfaction.  I  remember  how 
proud  I  was  when  I  donned  my  first  uniform.  I  know  that  it 
was  much  too  short  in  the  legs,  and  much  too  short  in  the  arms, 
but  I  thought  then  that  if  the  other  599,000  that  had  just  been 
called  into  the  service  presented  as  splendid  and  martial  appear- 
ance as  myself,  that  the  war  would  soon  be  over;  that  when  the 
rebels  sawus  coming,  they  would,  like  Davy  Crockett's  coon,  come 
down.  Buttheydidnot.  Strange  to  say  they  did  not  come  down;  and 


228  ELEVENTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

it  took  not  only  that  600,000  men,  but,  first  and  last,  more  than 
two  and  a  half  millionsof  men,  one-eighth  of  the  population  of  the 
loyal  states,  to  conquer  peace  and  preserve  the  Union.  Search 
history  as  you  may,  you  will  nowhere  else  find  an  instance, 
among  civilized  nations,  of  so  large  a  proportion  of  a  country's 
fighting  strength  going  forth  to  battle.  And  the  glory  of  it  all  is 
that  nearly  all  of  these  men  were  volunteers.  Why  was  this? 
Why  were  these  men  eager  and  brave  in  the  defense  of  their 
country?  It  was  because  they  had  been  good  citizens;  because 
they  had  been  born  and  bred  in  an  atmosphere  of  freedom;  be- 
cause this  country  was  their  country;  the  fight  was  their  fight; 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  their  President,  elected  by  their  votes  to 
do  their  work;  and  when  he  said  come,  they  went;  and  stayed 
until  our  banners  were  furled  in  peace. 

And,  when  the  war  was  over,  there  was  no  talk  of  Caesarism, 
of  imperialism  or  of  dictatorship;  but  the  armies  quietly  melted 
away,  and  were  merged  again  into  the  people.  They  returned 
to  that  citizenship  they  had  laid  down,  and  thereafter  were  better 
citizens  because  they  had  been  good  soldiers;  because  they  had 
learned  in  dreadful  war  the  price  of  free  institutions  and  con- 
stitutional government.  And  in  all  the  years  since  they  have 
been  a  patriotic  and  conservative  force  in  the  affairs  of  this  na- 
tion, they  have  been  an  influence  atid  power  for  good,  for  good 
order  and  good  government  in  the  communities  where  they  have 
lived. 

More  than  one-half  of  them  have  passed  away,  and  the 
others  are  hastening  to  the  end;  but  just  as  long  as  there  is 
breath  in  their  bodies  they  will  join  with  you  of  a  younger  gen- 
eration in  every  good  and  patriotic  work. 

And  now,  comrades,  I  have  said  enough  to  meet  the  re- 
quirements of  your  president,  comrade  Hawthorne,  and  will  read 
the  paper  prepared  by  comrade  Potter  upon  the  Nashville  cam- 
paign. It  is  a  paper  of  great  merit,  concise  and  yet  comprehen- 
sive, accurate  and  graphic  in  its  statements.  Comrade  Potter 
is  peculiarly  well  equipped  for  such  a  task.  He  is  a  student  of 
war  literature;  and,  as  you  all  know,  was  a  splendid  soldier,  and 
with  the  regiment  at  the  time  of  which  he  speaks. 

In  the  absence  of  the  writer,  Capt.  Sherratt  then  read  the 
following  paper,  compiled  by  Lieut.  A.  M.  Potter,  of  Co.  K : 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  229 

AN    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    BATTLE     OF     NASHVILLE 
DECEMBER  15TH  AND  16TH,   1864. 

BY     ANDREW     M.    POTTER. 

READ  AT  OREGON,   ILL.,   SEPT.   4TH,    1897. 


On  the  second  day  of  December,  1864,  the  army,  under  Maj. 
Gen.  Geo.  H.  Thomas,  was  established  on  a  defensive  line  around 
the  cityof  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  confronted  by  the  rebel  army  under 
Gen.  John  B.  Hood.  The  Union  army  rested,  the  left  on  the 
Cumberland  River  above  Nashville,  and  the  right  on  the  same 
river  below  the  city.  It  was  organized  as  follows:  a  force  num- 
bering 5,500  men,  made  up  of  garrisons  withdrawn  from  points 
between  Murfreesboro  and  Chattanooga,  and  Decatur,  Alabama, 
a  few  men,  one  year  regiments,  two  colored  brigades,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  four  army  corps  then  with  Gen.  Sherman,  who,  being 
convalescents  and  furloughed  men,  could  not  rejoin  their  com- 
mands previous  to  the  march  to  the  sea. 

This  force  was  provisionally  organized  into  one  division  and 
one  brigade  under  Maj. -Gen.  James  B.  Steedman,  which  held 
the  extreme  left  of  Gen.  Thomas'  army;  next  towards  the  right 
came  the  Twenty-third  army  corps  of  two  divisions  under  Maj.- 
Gen.  John  M.  Schofield,  numbering  9,500  infantry,  and  650  ar- 
tillery; next  on  the  right  was  the  Fourth  army  corps,  under 
command  of  Brevet  Maj. -Gen.  Thomas  J.  Wood,  three  divisions 
of  13,500  'infantry  and  750  artillery.  Gen.  Wood  was  temporarily 
commanding  in  place  of  Maj. -Gen.  David  S.  Stanley,  wounded 
at  Franklin  on  November  30th. 

Next  to  the  Fourth  corps,  and  covering  the  extreme  right, 
were  three  divisions  known  as  a  detachment  of  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  and  familiarly  spoken  of  as  the  Sixteenth  army  corps, 
and  commanded  by  Maj. -Gen.  A.  J.  Smith.  This  force  had 
early  in  the  year  been  designed  to  form  part  of  Gen.  Sherman's 
army  in  Georgia,  but  had  been  with  Gen.  N.  P.  Banks  on  the  ill- 
starred  Red  River  expedition;  then  when  at  Memphis,  en-route 
to  Sherman,  had  been  diverted  to  Missouri,  where,  under  Gen. 
Rosecrans,  it  had  engaged  in  the  campaign  which  resulted  in  the 
final  expulsion  of  the  rebel  Gen.  Price  from  the  state.  The  Six- 
teenth corps  numbered  9,700  infantry  and  775  artillery.  AtMur- 


230  ELEVENTH    REUNION    OF   THE 

freesboro  was  a  force  of  between  8,000  and  9,000  under  Maj.- 
Gen.  Rosseau,  formed  from  railroad  guards,  garrisons  withdrawn 
from  less  important  points,  and  several  new  regiments.  These 
new  regiments  were  mainly  from  Ohio,  and  besides  being  in  large 
part  officered  by  men  who  had  seen  service,  contained  many  men 
who  had  been  discharged  on  completion  of  one  term  of  enlist- 
ment during  the  previous  summer. 

It  was  but  comparatively  a  few  hours  before  the  whole  army 
was  behind  a  fine  line  of  earthworks,  and  practically  in  an  im- 
pregnable position.  Some  distance  to  the  rear,  but  outside  the 
city,  was  another  line  of  works,  occupied  by  civilian  employes 
of  the  quartermaster's  department.  This  force  was  about  10,- 
000  men,  and  was  commanded  by  Gen.  J.  L.  Donaldson,  chief 
quartermaster  of  the  military  division  of  the  Mississippi. 

Commanding  all  these  exterior  works  were  a  number  of  well- 
fortified  hills  occupied  by  artillery,  and  which  had  been  built 
some  two  years  previously.  The  cavalry  corps  was  made  up  of 
regiments  which  had  been  scattered  from  Louisville  to  Atlanta, 
from  Memphis  to  Knoxville,  some  from  Vicksburg  and  some  from 
Missouri;  and,  with  the  exception  of  Kilpatrick's  division,  all 
the  cavalry  which  had  been  engaged  on  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
This  force  was  widely  scattered,  but  under  orders  to  concentrate 
at  Edgefield,  opposite  Nashville. 

The  cavalry  was  organized  into  six  divisions  numbering  12,- 
000  men,  9,000  of  whom  were  mounted,  at  least  one-fifth  very 
poorly,  the  whole  under  command  of  Maj.-Gen.  James  H.Wilson. 

On  the  Cumberland  River  were  eight  gunboats  which  guard- 
ed the  flanks  of  the  army,  and  prevented  the  crossing  of  any 
very  large  bodies  of  the  enemy.  This  fleet  was  commanded  by 
Lieut.  Commander  Fitch. 

Gen.  Thomas  had  put  forth  every  possible  effort  during  the 
month  of  November  to  concentrate  and  organize  this  miscellan- 
eous force,  that  it  might  be  in  readiness  to  meet  Hood  on  cross- 
ing the  Tennessee  River,  but  it  was  not  until  the  second  day  of 
December  that  the  infantry  had  been  concentrated  at  Nashville, 
and  not  until  a  week  later  that  the  cavalry  were  furnished  with 
horses,  and  in  some  cases  with  cavalry  arms. 

On  the  8th  everything  was  in  readiness,  and  orders  were 
issued  to  attack  Hood's  army  on  the  morning  of  the  9th;  but 
that  night  a  cold  rain  set  in,  and  by  morning  the  surface  of  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  231 

country  was  covered  with  a  sheet  of  ice,  making  movements  of 
animals  absolutely  impracticable,  and  nearly  so  for  human  be- 
ings. There  was  nothing  left  to  be  done  but  await  a  moderation 
of  temperature  which  should  release  the  army  from  its  practical- 
ly icy  fetters. 

The  looked-for  thaw  came  on  the  18th,  and  the  next 
day  minute  directions  were  issued  from  department  headquarters 
for  the  battle  to  be  fought  the  following  day. 

Early  on  the  15th  Gen.  Steedman,  with  a  portion  of  his 
force,  moved  out  near  the  Murfreesboro  pike  and  railroad,  and, 
with  much  display,  threatened  an  attack  on  Hood's  right,  which 
was  at  once  strengthened  from  his  center,  on  the  theory  that 
battle  was  to  be  delivered  at  that  point.  Although  no  serious 
engagement  took  place,  sufficient  activity  was  displayed  to  con- 
tinue Hood  in  his  opinion,  while  the  Union  cavalry,  which  had 
concentrated  on  Thomas'  right,  moved  out  on  the  Charlotte  pike, 
swinging  constantly  to  the  left  in  connection  with  the  Sixteenth 
army  corps.  One  cavalry  division,  R.  W.  Johnson's,  moved 
down  the  river  and  drove  off  a  cavalry  force  which  had  practi- 
cally blocked  the  river  a  few  miles  below  Nashville.  These 
movements  were  concealed  by  fog,  which  did  not  clear  until  the 
Fourth  corps  had  moved  to  the  front  and  come  into  contact 
with  the  rebel  outlying  works  and  skirmishers,  and  the  Sixteenth 
corps  and  cavalry  had  changed  front  to  rather  more  than  right 
angles  with  their  original  positions. 

By  noon  all  these  forces  were  well  up  to  the  rebel  works, 
which  consisted  chiefly  of  detached  works  with  artillery  on  the 
numerous  hills  or  knobs  dotting  the  country,  the  artillery  well 
supported  by  infantry.  Soon  after  the  noon  hour,  the  cavalry 
being  dismounted,  in  unison  with  the  Sixteenth  corps,  made  a 
rush  for  the  opposing  works,  quickly  gaining  them,  capturing 
their  armament  of  guns,  and,  in  most  cases,  the  infantry  sup- 
ports. Directly  in  front  of  the  Fourth  corps  was  Montgomery's 
Hill,  a  commanding  point  and  well  entrenched.  It  fell  to  Post's 
brigade  of  the  Third  division  to  attack  this  point,  which  they  did 
in  handsome  style,  carrying  it  and  capturing  a  number  of  pris- 
oners. 

These  movements  were  continued  during  the  afternoon  and 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  main  line  of  rebel  works  from  near 
Franklin  pike  to  their  extreme  left,  and  the  loss  to  the  enemy  of 


232  ELEVENTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

eight  pieces  of  artillery  and  five  hundred  prisoners.  Schofield's 
Twenty-third  corps,  which  had  been  in  reserve  during  the  morn- 
ing, was  moved  to  the  right  of  the  Sixteenth  corps  during  the 
afternoon,  and  the  cavalry  were  moved  still  farther  to  the  right 
and  south  in  an  endeavor  to  reach  Granny  White  pike  in  rear  of 
Hood's  left,  and  thus  cut  off  one  avenue  of  escape  should  he  be 
forced  to  retreat. 

The  movements  of  the  day  had  been  almost  precisely  as 
planned  and  directed  by  Gen.  Thomas,  and  in  every  respect 
successful.  At  dark  the  rebels  held  only  the  ground  on  their  ex- 
treme right  of  all  the  positions  occupied  in  the  early  morning, 
and  no  serious  attack  had  been  made  on  that. 

At  dawn  on  the  16th,  Hood  had  withdrawn  and  shortened 
his  lines,  so  that  his  right  rested  on  Overton's  Hill  to  the  east  of 
Franklin  pike,  and  his  left  reached  to  the  Brentwood  Hills,  but 
covering  the  Granny  White  pike. 

The  Union  army  moved  forward  and  closed  on  the  rebels, 
finding  them  in  continuous  line  and  well  entrenched.  The  plan 
for  the  day's  movements  was  similar  to  that  of  the  15th;  to  hold 
close  contact  with  the  whole  line  watching  for  any  advantage  to 
reach  for  the  rebel  left  and  turn  it,  forcing  them  from  the  Granny 
White  pike  as  means  of  retreat.  While  a  demonstration,  more 
or  less  active, -was  kept  up  on  the  entire  front,  the  cavalry  were 
working  to  the  right  and  to  envelop  the  left  rear  of  the  enemy. 

About  noon  it  was  decided,  at  Col.  P.  Sidney  Post's  earnest 
solicitation,  that  he,  with  his  brigade  of  the  Third  division, 
Fourth  corps,  be  allowed  to  attack  the  rebel  position  on  Over- 
ton's  Hill,  he  to  be  supported  by  Streight's  brigade,  same  divi- 
sion, while  Thompson's  colored  brigade,  supported  by  Grosve- 
nor's  white  brigade,  were  to  co-operate  to  the  east.  After  a  se- 
vere artillery  fire,  the  attack  was  delivered  unsuccessfully,  Col. 
Post  was  severely  wounded,  and  many  men  killed  and  wounded. 

The  result  of  the  constant  pressure  on  our  right  had  finally 
been  that  the  two  lines  of  combatants  were  within  hailing,  indeed 
within  speaking,  distance  of  one  another. 

An  hour  later  than  Post's  charge,  McMillan's  brigade  of  the 
Sixteenth  corps  charged  an  eminence  since  known  as  Shy's  Hill, 
named  for  a  Tennessee  colonel  who  fell  in  its  defense.  The  hill 
was  carried.  Cox's  division  on  McMillan's  left,  and  dismounted 
cavalry  on  the  right,  took  up  the  movement,  rushed  forward,  and 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  233 

the  rebel  left  was  irretrievably  ruined.  The  rout  was  complete 
from  flank  to  flank  of  Hood's  army,  Overton's  Hill  being  aban- 
doned without  resistance,  where  an  hour  before  there  had  waged 
the  deadliest  conflict  of  the  day.  The  cavalry  mounted  and  gal- 
loped down  the  Granny  White  pike,  capturing  many  prisoners 
and  much  material  of  war,  while  the  Franklin  pike,  being  the 
main  avenue  of  retreat,  was  literally  choked  by  the  rout  of  men 
and  material. 

By  6:00  p.  m.  darkness  had  settled  down  and  put  a  stop  to 
the  pursuit,  which,  begun  three  hours  earlier,  would  have  un- 
doubtedly produced  far  greater  results.  Those  who  were  with 
the  regiment  in  December,  1862,  will  recall  that  our  first  camp 
south  of  Nashville  was  known  as  "Camp  Andy  Johnson." 
During  the  morning  of  the  16th  we  marched  in  line  of  battle  di- 
rectly over  the  ground  on  which  our  tents  had  stood. 

Later  in  the  day,  after  the  retreat  of  the  rebels,  we  marched 
over  the  ground  to  the  left  of  the  Franklin  pike,  which,  in  1862, 
we  had  occupied  as  our  second  camp,  and  whence  we  marched 
to  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  and  which  was  known  as  "Camp  St. 
James  Chapel."  On  the  morning  of  the  17th,  the  pursuit  of  the 
flying  rebels  was  taken  up  on  both  the  Franklin  and  Granny 
White  pikes  without  opposition  until  the  Harpeth  River  at 
Franklin  was  reached.  Owing  to  some  mistake  in  orders,  the 
pontoon  train  had  been  sent  out  on  the  Murfreesboro,  instead  of 
the  Franklin  pike,  causing  a  delay  which  was  never  repaired, 
giving  Hood  and  his  army  time  to  put  miles  between  their  trains, 
main  army  and  their  rear  guard.  A  stern  chase  is  proverbially 
a  long  one;  we  found  it  so.  The  cavalry  kept  close  up  to  the 
rebel  rear  guard,  but  the  condition  of  the  country  off  the  turn- 
pikes prevented  any  flanking  operations,  and  the  only  possible 
alternative  was  constant  dashes  on  the  pike,  by  which  more  dam- 
age was  inflicted  on  the  rebels  than  was  received  by  our  forces; 
but  the  rebel  rear  guard  from  Columbia  south  was  Forrest's  com- 
mand of  cavalry,  and,  that  stated,  it  is  readily  understood  that 
the  task  of  pursuit  was  no  easy  one. 

On  the  27th  Hood  was  across  the  Tennessee  river  at  Bain- 
bridge  with  all  the  high  hopes  and  expectations  of  one  month 
previous  completely  shattered.  Including  the  battle  of  Frank- 
lin, and  the  operations  of  the  month  of  November  attending 
Hood's  invasion  of  Tennessee,  Gen.  Thomas'  returns  show  pris- 


234  ELEVENTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

oners  captured  and  deserters  received  of  between  thirteen  and 
fourteen  thousand  men,  and  a  capture  of  seventy-two  cannon 
and  three  thousand  muskets.  ManyTennesseans  deserted  before 
reaching  Bainbridge,  returning  to  their  homes  to  remain. 

The  Union  loss  at  Nashville  was  three  thousand  and  fifty- 
seven,  of  whom  less  than  four  hundred  were  killed. 

The  Fourth  corps  lost  about  one  thousand,  of  which  the  ma- 
jority was  on  Overton's  Hill.  The  Twenty-third  corps'  loss  was 
one  hundred  and  Seventy-five.  The  Sixteenth  corps  lost  seven 
hundred  and  fifty;  Steedman's,  eight  hundred,  the  most  of  which 
was  at  Overton's  Hill.  The  cavalry  corps  lost  nearly  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  the  larger  part  occurring  on  the  15th,  when  carry- 
the  redoubts  and  hills  forming  the  rebel  left. 

There  is  no  question  that  to  the  genius  of  Gen.  Thomas  was 
due  the  credit  of  bringing  organization  out  of  disorganization, 
and  fairly  creating  a  new  army  to  oppose  a  rebel  army  which  was 
fully  as  strong  as  when,  on  May  1st,  Gen.  Sherman  had  moved 
on  it  with  98,000  men,  and  over  which,  during  the  entire  sum- 
mer, he  had  gained  no  substantial  advantage.  He  had  taken 
60,000  men  for  his  Savannah  campaign,  leaving  Gen.  Thomas 
with  the  Fourth  and  Twenty-third  corps  as  a  nucleus  for  what 
was  practically  a  new  army.  He  dismounted  and  disarmed  the 
cavalry  to  equip- Kilpatrick's  division,  which  accompanied  him. 
He  took  the  pontoon  trains,  necessitating  the  providing  of  anew 
train,  and  the  acquiring  of  horse  and  arm  equipments  for  the  cav- 
alry contingent  turned  over  to  Gen.  Thomas'  command. 

Under  these  adverse  conditions  how  well  "Pap"  Thomas 
succeeded  the  records  show,  and  an  appreciative  country  should 
never  forget. 

Next  came  an  address  by  Hon.  R.  R.  Hitt,  full  of  good 
points  and  instructive  as  to  the  methods  of  conducting  the  enor- 
mous business  of  the  pension  department  of  the  government. 
After  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  Co.  G  and  the  citizens  of 
Oregon  for  their  hospitable  and  generous  entertainment  of  mem- 
bers of  the  regiment,  the  camp-fire  was  closed  by  all  uniting  in 
singing  "Marching  Through  Georgia." 


Proceedings:  Twelfth  Reunion 

October  3,  1595,  RocKford,  Illinois. 


BUSINESS   MEETING. 

Pursuant  to  call  of  officers,  the  twelfth  reunion  of  the  regi- 
ment was  held  at  Rockford,  111.,  on  October  3d,  1899. 

A  business  meeting  was  convened  at  G.  A.  R.  Hall  at  11:00 
a.  m.  On  motion,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  unanimously  given  to 
Nevius  Post  No.  1,  for  use  of  the  hall  and  other  favors. 

Comrades  Beatson,  Ray  and  Simpson  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  take  such  measures  as  they  might  deem  expedient 
to  preserve  the  tatters  of  the  first  battle  flag  of  the  regiment. 
Being  called  upon  to  submit  some  remarks  upon  the  recent  death 
of  Lieut.  Thomas  W.  Cole,  of  Co.  D,  H.  P.  Holland  said: 

I  have  no  love  for  formal  resolutions  of  condolence  upon  the 
death  of  anybody, — they  mean  nothing.  Printed  blanks  could 
as  well  be  used  for  them.  I  submit  no  such  resolutions.  For 
fifty-two  years — the  greater  part  of  my  life — I  knew  Tom  Cole; 
(we  all  called  him  Tom)  and  I  never  knew  anything  but  good  of 
him.  I  can  say,  as  was  said  of  another: 

"  None  knew  him  but  to  love  him  ; 
None  named  him  but  to  praise.'' 

Remembering  Tom,  as  we  all  must,  we  know  that  nothing 
could  be  more  displeasing  to  his  departed  spirit,  if,  as  may  be, 
it  is  here  with  us,  than  fulsome  eulogy,  which  is  as  devoid  of 
feeling  as  a  stone  is  of  blood,  and  which  never  meant  anything 
to  anybody.  Tom  hated  hypocrisy,  sham,  cant  and  pretense. 
He  believed  that  things  and  men  should  pass  for  what  they  are 
—  not  for  what  they  assume  to  be;  not  a  dime  for  a  dollar,  not 
a  knave  for  an  honest  man.  We  will  therefore  say  nothing  more 


236  TWELFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

about  his  muster  out  than  that  we  can  cheerfully  believe  he  has 
received  deserved  promotion.  I  pass  all  that  by,  and  have  re- 
course to  the  personal  pronoun — I.  I  can't  avoid  it,  for  thereby 
can  be  proved  the  truth  of  the  worn  adage,  that  "truth  is  stranger 
than  fiction." 

In  the  exciting  debate  at  Mission  Ridge,  on  November  25, 
1863,  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  the  compliments  of  certain  un- 
known gentlemen  whose  views  differed  radically  from  my  own  on 
the  question  at  issue, — that  is  to  say,  I  courteously  accepted 
the  salute  of  two  minie  balls,  one  of  them  in  my  right  arm,  the 
other  through  my  right  breast,  cutting  one  of  my  lungs  so  that 
"the  subsequent  proceedings"  were  not  illuminated  by  my  fur- 
ther participation.  In  fact,  I  was  knocked  over.  On  looking 
round  I  saw  our  friend  Tom  Cole  gallantly  pressing  his  way  up 
the  fiery  slope.  He,  seeing  me,  cried  out:  "Hello,  old  man, 
what's  the  matter?"  In  reply,  I  said  ;  "What's  the  matter  with 
you?  Drop  down,  and  bring  me  your  canteen."  The  place  was 
not  healthy, — not  a  favorite  resort  for  life  insurance  agents. 
However,  Tom  did  drop  down,  and,  creeping  to  my  side,  he 
handed  me  his  canteen  of  water,  a  drink  of  which  was  what  I 
most  needed.  Then,  by  way  of  cheering  me  up,  he  said:  "Good- 
bye, old  man,  I  may  not  see  you  again;"  and  rejoined  his  com- 
rades in  pursuit  -of  the  beaten  foe.  If  it  be  thought  that,  in 
speaking  in  so  light  a  vein  of  our  old  comrade  and  friend,  I  am 
offending  the  proprieties,  it  may  be  admitted  that  I  am  not  con- 
ventional. To  this  I  can  say  that,  recalling  a  conversation  with 
Tom  occurring  shortly  before  his  death,  we  were  agreed  that  re- 
specting most  funeral  sermons  the  preacher,  and  not  the  depart- 
ed, most  deserved  pity;  that  the  tawdry  pomp  of  funerals  was 
not  alone  an  offense,  but  a  burden  of  expense  on  many  little  able 
to  bear  it,  and  that  simplicity  in  the  office  of  burying  the  dead 
was  a  thing  much  to  be  commended  ;  all  of  which,  begging  par- 
don for  the  inevitable  and  multitudinous  ego,  leads  to  this;  that 
I  now  wish  to  read  a  little  poem  by  Miles  O'Reilly,  entitled, 

THE  CANTEEN. 

"  There  are  bonds  of  all  sorts  in  this  world  of  ours, 
Fetters  of  friendship  and  ties  of  flowers, 

And  tiue  lovers'  knots  I  ween  ; 
The  girl  and  the  boy  are  bound  by  a  kiss, 
But  there's  never  a  bond,  old  friend,  like  this — 
We  have  drunk  from  the  same  canteen. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  237 

It  was  sometimes  water  and  sometimes  milk, 
And  somtimes  applejack,  fine  as  silk: 

But,  whate'er  the  tipple  has  been, 
We  shared  it  together  in  bane  or  bliss, 
And  I  warm  to  you,  friend,  when  I  think  of  this — 

We  have  drunk  from  the  same  canteen. 

The  rich  and  the  great  sit  down  to  dine, 

And  they  quaff  to  each  other  in  sparkling  wine, 

From  glasses  of  crystal  and  green  ; 
But  I  guess,  in  their  golden  potations,  they  miss 
The  warmth  of  regard  to  be  found  in  this — 

We  have  drunk  from  the  same  canteen. 

We  have  shared  our  blankets  and  tents  together, 
And  have  marched  and  fought  in  all  kinds  of  weather, 

And  hungry  and  full  have  we  been — 
Had  days  of  battle  and  days  of  rest  ; 
But  this  memory  I  cling  to  and  love  the  best — 

We  have  drunk  from  the  same  canteen. 

For!  when  wounded  I  lay  on  the  outer  slope, 

With  my  blood  flowing  fast,  and  with  but  little  hope 

Upon  which  my  faint  spirit  could  lean, 
O,  then,  I  remember,  you  crawled  to  my  side, 
And,  bleeding  so  fast,  it  seemed  both  must  have  died, 

We  drank  from  the  same  canteen. 

It  was  resolved  to  hold  the  next — the  thirteenth  reunion  of 
the  regiment — at  Rockford,  111.,  on  June  10,  1901,  or  as  near 
that  date  as,  in  the  opinion  of  the  officers,  may  be  practicable. 
The  election  of  officers  resulted  as  follows: 

JOHN  H.  SHERRATT,  President. 

VICE-PRESIDENTS. 

James  S.  Cowen Company  A 

A.  W.  Thompson "  B 

Robert  Simpson "  C 

Chauncey  T.  Ray "  D 

James  L.  Sherman "  E 

Levi  S.  Sanders "  F 

John  Kelly G 

Oscar  Franklin "  H 

D.  G.  Spaulding "  1 

J.  M.  Fraley «  K 

HOSMER    P.   HOLLAND,   Secretary. 

JOHN  W.  BEATSON,  Treasurer. 


238  TWELFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

On  motion,  the  president,  secretary  and  treasurer  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  compile,  publish  in  pamphlet  form  and 
mail  to  members  of  the  regiment,  the  proceedings  of  the  elev- 
enth and  twelfth  reunions  of  survivors. 


EVENING    SESSION. 

At  7:30  p.  m.,  for  the  camp-fire,  the  hall  of  Nevius  Post 
No.  1,  G.  A.  R.,  was  densely  packed  with  members  of  the  regi- 
ment and  their  friends.  The  proceedings  were  much  enlivened 
at  intervals  of  the  program,  by  songs  of  the  Temple  Quartet, 
who  cheerfully,  and  to  the  pleasure  of  all,  swelled  their  throats 
and  expanded  their  lungs  "without  money  and  without  price." 
President  Sherratt  first  introduced  Mayor  E.  W.  Brown,  who 
welcomed  survivors  of  the  regiment  in  eloquent  and  fervid  words, 
which,  to  our  regret,  were  not  reported.  In  response,  W.  H. 
Brydges,  Co.  K,  of  Elgin,  111.,  spoke  as  follows: 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  Thirty-seven  years 
ago  our  country  was  in  danger,  its  very  existence  was  threatened. 
The  great-hearted  Lincoln  called  for  defenders.  Quickly,  from 
the  farms,  the  workshops,  the  schools  and  the  homes  of  this 
beautiful  Rock  River  valley,  came  the  response,  "We  are  com- 
ing, Father  Abraham." 

In  yonder  camp  these  gathering  guardians  of  national  unity, 
;of  national  life,  were  organized,  schooled  and  disciplined  for  im- 
pending duties. 

For  whatever  success  attended  our  efforts  in  the  field,  for 
whatever  comforts  we  enjoyed  in  the  camp,  we  are  largely  indebt- 
ed to  those  loyal  men  and  women  who  remained  at  home.  Their 
thoughts  and  sympathies  were  ever  with  us,  in  sunshine  and  in 
storm.  By  word  and  deed  they  sought  to  mitigate  our  suffer- 
ings and  strengthen  us  for  coming  conflicts. 

To  the  songwriters  who  made  it  possible  for  us  to  sing,  "We 
are  the  Gay  and  Happy  Suckers  from  the  State  of  Illinois," 
"We  will  Rally  Round  the  Flag,  Boys,"  "We  are  Coming,  Fa- 
ther Abraham,  Three  Hundred  Thousand  More,"  and  many 
others,  we  acknowledge  our  deep  indebtedness. 

Mr.  Mayor,  this  occasion,  your  kind  words  and  hearty  wel- 
come awaken  within  us  tender  memories  of  by- gone  days,  some 
of  them  sad,  some  of  them  joyous. 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  239 

While  in  Camp  Fuller,  the  citizens  of  Rockford  were  our 
friends,  and  .their  friendship  deepened  through  the  intervening 
years.  On  that  memorable  Sunday  morning,  when  we  started 
for  the  front,  their  good-bye  evinced  a  tender  solicitude.  Their 
hopes  and  prayers  followed  us  in  all  our  hardships'  and  dangers. 
Many  an  encouraging  letter  and  loving  deed  attested  their  sym- 
pathy and  their  devotion  to  the  cause  which  we  had  espoused. 
When  our  regimental  flag  became  tattered  and  torn,  and  begrimed 
by  the  smoke  of  battle,  they  sent  us  a  new  one,  which  soon  re- 
ceived its  fiery  baptism.  Our  brave  boys,  at  fearful  cost,-carried 
it  up  the  slopes,  and  planted  it  on  the  very  crest  of  Missionary 
Ridge,  amid  shot  and  shell  and  the  shouts  of  victory.  When 
the  conflict  was  over,  and  the  surviving  remnant  returned  in 
honor,  your  citizens  gave  them  such  a  welcome,  such  evidences 
of  appreciation,  that  the  occasion  will  never  be  forgotten.  Many 
times  since  we  have  shared  their  generous  hospitality. 

Coming  from  our  scattered  homes  to  this  glad  reunion,  we 
are  pleased  to  meet  and  greet  each  other  again  in  the  city  that 
has  ever  befriended  us;  in  the  city  whose  intelligence  and  enter- 
prise have  made  it  a  leader  in  prosperity  and  progress.  As  you 
extend  to  us  renewed  congratulations,  and,  in  the  name  of  your 
fellow  citizens,  bid  us  welcome,  we  humbly  bow  in  grateful  re- 
cognition of  their  continued  kindnesses,  and  their  sacrifices  in 
behalf  of  liberty  and  national  unity.  The  members  of  our  regi- 
ment desire  to  so  live  and  act,  during  their  remaining  years,  that 
they  will  be  ever  welcome  to  your  city  and  your  homes. 

The  Seven.ty-fourth  does  not  claim  to  have  put  down  the 
rebellion,  but,  in  common  with  the  many  regiments  gathered 
from  the  broad  prairies  of  this  great  commonwealth,  it  tried  to 
do  its  duty,  and  it  feels  a  pardonable  pride  in  the  record  of  its 
achievements. 

More  than  a  generation  has  passed  since  we  were  formally 
mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States.  Our  deeds  as 
soldiers  and  as  civilians  have  become  a  part  of  the  history  of  the 
country,  a  part  of  the  nation's  life  and  character.  As  patriotic 
citizens  we  must  be  loyal  to  every  factor  of  national  greatness. 
While  we  recount  our  nation's  achievements,  and  magnify  her 
possibilties.  we  must  not  forget  that  she  is  beset  by  dangers  seen 
and  unseen.  Eternal  vigilance  must  continue  to  be  our  watch- 
word. Great  governmental  and  industrial  problems  confront  us, 


240  TWELFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

demanding  a  just  and  lasting  solution.  Our  country  must  be 
kept  in  the  vanguard  of  nations,  by  banishing  her.  weaknesses 
and  fostering  her  virtues. 

My  comrades,  you  were  soldiers  in  the  greatest  war  of  his- 
tory; actors  in  the  grandest  drama  of  the  ages.  When  peace 
came  in  her  matchless  splendor,  you  quietly  returned  to  the  pur- 
suits of  civil  life.  For  these  many  years  you  have  played  your 
part  in  the  country's  development.  You  have  shown  your  devo- 
tion to  her  highest  interests,  and  added  new  luster  and  a  deeper 
meaning  to  the  beautiful  folds  of  "old  glory."  Our  ranks  are 
thinning,  our  working  hours  are  rapidly  passing.  Let  us  culti- 
vate a  closer  comradeship,  and  a  broader  charity.  Let  us  stand 
together  and  touch  elbows  in  the  cause  of  liberty  and  humanity, 
true  to  the  right  "as  God  gives  us  to  see  the  right."  Then,  as 
we  view  the  glories  of  the  past  and  turn  to  the  beckoning  future, 
there  will  come  the  pleasing  assurance  that,  as  humble  workers, 
we  have  been  contributors  to  the  greatness  and  grandeur  of  that 
country,  whose  flag  is  respected  on  the  land  and  on  the  sea,  and 
which  stands  peerless  among  the  nations. 


Remarks  were  also  made  by  the  following  gentlemen, 
among  others,  who  gallantly  answered  the  call  of  comrades: 
Rev.  W.  H.  Spencer,  Kev.  D.  R.  Lucas,  ex-chaplain-in-chief  of 
the  G.  A.  R.,  Hon.  R.  R.  Hitt,  Col.  Thos.  G.  Lawler,  John  H. 
Sherratt,  and  Judge  H.  V.  Freeman,  of  Chicago.  Quincy  A. 
Sloan,  Co.  C,  of  McGregor,  Iowa,  then  read  the  following  paper, 
concluding  the  series  in  the  history  of  the  regiment. 


LAST  SERVICE  AND  MUSTER  OUT. 

BY    QUINCY    A.     SLOAN. 

About  September  1st,  I  received  a  request  from  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Seventy-fourth  Regimental  Association  to  write  the 
history  of  the  regiment  from  the  close  of  the  battles  of  Nashville 
to  our  muster  out  and  home  coming. 

Situated  as  I  am,  at  a  distance  from  any  members  of  the 
regiment,  and  unable  to  consult  and  advise  with  them  in  regard 
to  events  during  that  time,  my  first  thought  was  that  I  could  not 
comply  with  the  request.  However,  after  considering  the  mat- 
ter for  a  day  or  two,  I  wrote  the  president  that  I  would  prepare 
a  short  paper  as  best  I  could.  Having  a  journal  covering  the 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.    REGIMENT.  241 

entire  period  embraced  in  this  paper,  I  am  certain  that  so  far  as 
dates  and  locality  are  concerned  it  is  correct,  however  deficient 
it  may  be  in  other  particulars. 

The  fighting  history  of  the  Seventy-fourth  was  practically 
ended  with  the  paper  read  at  our  last  reunion,  covering  the  two 
days'  battle  of  Nashville,  December  15  and  16,  1864. 

Gen.  Thomas  lost  no  time  in  instituting  a  vigorous  pursuit 
of  Gen.  Hood's  demoralized  army  after  the  great  victory  at 
Nashville. 

At  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  the  federal  troops 
were  in  motion. 

Gen.  T.  J.  Wood's  Fourth  corps,  to  which  the  Seventy- 
fourth  belonged,  moved  out  on  the  Franklin  Pike.  Rain  set  in 
on  the  17th,  and  continued  for  several  days,  making  the  dirt 
roads  of  the  country  very  difficult  for  the  movement  of  artillery 
and  wagon  trains. 

The  flying  fragments  of  Hood's  army  were  closely  pressed 
by  Thomas'  advance,  and  large  numbers  of  prisoners,  artillery 
and  small  arms  were  brought  in  every  day  to  augment  the  al- 
ready great  victory  of  the  two  days'  battle.  When  we  saw  the 
thousands  of  prisoners  taken  by  our  army  we  were  led  to  exclaim: 
"Did  any  of  them  get  away?" 

The  line  of  retreat  from  Brentwood  Hills  to  the  Tennessee 
River  was  literally  strewn  with  abandoned  wagons,  artillery,  small 
arms  and  camp  equipage  of  every  description,  showing  how  com- 
plete had  been  the  demoralization  and  confusion  of  the  rebel 
troops. 

Gen.  Hood,  by  skillful  management  of  his  pontoons,  was 
successful  in  crossing  the  swollen  streams  and  taking  up  his 
bridges  before  our  advance  could  come  up  to  him. 

The  Fourth  corps  halted  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  17th, 
opposite  Franklin,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Harpeth  river.  The 
next  morning  we  crossed  the  Harpeth  and  passed  through  Frank- 
lin and  over  the  battlefield  of  November  30,  which  still  showed 
evidences  of  the  fearful  carnage  of  that  terrible  conflict. 

Gen.  Thomas  pushed  forward  as  rapidly  as  the  conditions 
would  permit  through  Spring  Hill  and  Columbia.  On  Christ- 
mas morning,  the  enemy,  with  our  cavalry  at  his  heels,  evacu- 
ated Pulaski,  Tenn. 


242  TWELFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

Chrismas  morning  found  our  division  camped  near  the 
Franklin  Pike,  about  five  miles  from  Pulaski. 

I  well  remember  a  large  squad  of  "Johnnies"  being  march- 
ed to  the  rear,  many  of  them  nearly  or  quite  bare  foot  and  very 
scantily  clad  generally.  As  our  boys  saluted  them  with  "Merry 
Christmas,"  they  came  back  at  us  with  the  popular  Southern 
phrase,  ' '  Christmas  gift. ' '  They  seemed  to  be  happy  even  in  their 
misery. 

The  advance  of  our  army  had  a  number  of  light  skirmishes 
with  Hood's  rear  guard,  but  the  enemy  made  no  determined  ef- 
fort to  impede  our  advance,  and  on  the  night  of  December  27, 
Hood  succeeded  in  crossing  Tennessee  River,  with  the  remnant 
of  his  army,  at  Bainbridge,  Ala. 

The  Fourth  corps  kept  well  up  with  the  cavalry,  camping 
on  the  night  of  the  25th  six  miles  out  of  Pulaski,  on  the  Lamb's 
Ferry  Road. 

Pushing  on,  we  reached  Lexington,  Ala.,  on  the  28th,  on 
which  date  Gen.  Thomas,  having  definitely  ascertained  that 
Hood  had  made  good  his  escape  across  the  Tennessee  River* 

gi 

directed  further  pursuit  to  cease. 

The  weather  had  changed  on  the  21st  from  dismal  rain  to 
bitter  cold,  which  lasted  until  January  1st,  with  a  light  fall  of 
snow. 

While  in  camp,  near  Lexington,  we  heard  the  glad  news  of 
Sherman's  capture  of  Savannah  on  the  21st  inst. 

On  December  29th,  Gen.  Thomas,  in  general  orders  No. 
169,  announced  the  successful  termination  of  the  campaign,  and 
complimented  the  army  upon  the  work  accomplished. 

January  1st,  1865,  found  us  in  camp  at  Sugar  Creek  Valley, 
one  of  those  fertile  regions  of  Northern  Alabama.  Owing  to  the 
condition  of  the  roads,  our  supply  trains  were  far  in  the  rear, 
and  consequently  regular  army  rations  were  played  out.  Orders 
were  issued  for  the  army  to  forage  off  the  country,  (an  entirely 
unnecessary  order  in  my  opinion.)  The  country  about  us  was 
very  rich  in  all  the  products  of  that  section,  and  the  result  was 
that  after  the  foraging  parties  all  reported  back  to  camp,  we  were 
well  provided  with  all  kinds  of  fresh  and  salt  meats,  flour,  sweet 
potatoes,  honey,  sorghum,  dried  fruits,  etc.,  etc.,  sufficient  to 
last  us  a  week  or  more.  When  we  marched  again  on  the  third 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  243 

of  January  we  were  obliged  to  leave  a  large  part  of  our  provisions 
behind. 

Gen.  Thomas  had,  in  general  orders,  directed  the  disposi- 
tion of  his  army  as  follows:  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith's  corps  to  go  to 
Eastport,  Miss.;  Gen.  Wood's  corps  to  concentrate  at  Athens 
and  Huntsville,  Ala.;  Gen.  Schofield  to  proceed  to  Dalton,  Ga.; 
Wilson's  cavalry  to  be  deployed  from  Eastport  to  Huntsville. 

The  Fourth  corps  broke  camp  on  the  third  of  January,  and 
started  for  Athens  and  Huntsville. 

Our  division  (the  Second)  reached  Huntsville  on  January  5th, 
1865,  and  went  into  camp  about  one  mile  northwest  from  the 
city,  where  we  remained  all  winter. 

Our  camp  at  Huntsville  was  one  of  the  most  pleasant  and 
comfortable  during  our  term  of  service.  We  built  very  conven- 
ient log  cabins  with  brick  chimneys,  using  our  shelter  tents  for 
roofs.  During  our  stay  here  we  were  frequently  sent  on  foraging 
and  other  details. 

Our  regimental  chaplain,  the  late  Rev.  Pettibone,  together 
with  the  chaplain  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Wisconsin,  erected  a  very 
comfortable  chapel,  where  regular  services  were  held  Sunday 
and  often  on  evenings  during  the  week. 

The  weather  during  the  winter  was  cold  and  dry,  and  the 
health  of  the  regiment  almost  perfect. 

On  the  morning  of  March  28th,  we  received  orders  to  pre- 
pare to  move  immediately  for  Knoxville,  Tenn.  We  marched 
to  the  depot  and  boarded  a  freight  train.  Daylight  the  next 
morning  found  us  at  Chattanooga.  After  a  short  stop  we  moved 
on  toward  Knoxville.  When  two  and  one  half  miles  beyond 
Cleveland,  we  came  up  with  the  baggage  train,  with  six  cars  in 
the  ditch.  One  man  from  the  Eighty-eighth  Illinois  was  killed, 
and  quite  a  number  injured,  among  whom  were  three  from  the 
Seventy-fourth.  After  the  track  was  cleared  our  train  moved  on, 
reaching  Knoxville  about  noon  on  the  30th,  where  we  remained 
until  late  in  the  evening  of  the  31st. 

At  noon,  April  1st,  we  arrived  at  Bull's  Gap,  fifty-five  miles 
from  Knoxville,  and  went  into  camp  about  one  mile  beyond  the 

gap- 

April  3rd  we  received  telegrams  announcing  the  capture  of 
Richmond  and  Petersburg.  A  salute  of  one  hundred  guns  was 
fired  from  corps  headquarters,  and  the  glad  shouts  from  the 


244  TWELFTH    REUNION    OF    THE 

many  camps  made  the  old  hills  of  East  Tennessee  resound  to 
the  joyful  news. 

We  moved  camp  on  the  4th  to  Blue  Springs,  eight  miles 
east  of  the  gap.  Here,  in  this  picturesque  camp,  we  had  occa- 
sion for  a  renewal  of  our  expressions  of  joy  at  the  announcement 
of  Lee's  surrender  of  the  entire  army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

While  we  were  still  rejoicing  over  Grant's  victories,  our  joy 
was  suddenly  turned  to  mourning,  as,  on  the  15th  inst. ,  we 
heard  the  sad  news  of  President  Lincoln's  assassination.  I  think 
it  is  not  exaggerating  to  say  that  if  every  man  had  heard  of  the 
death  of  his  own  father  the  grief  could  not  have  been  much 
greater. 

The  object  of  the  campaign  into  East  Tennessee  having 
been  to  repair  the  railroad  and  move  east  through  WestVirginia, 
to  co-operate  with  Gen.  Grant's  forces,  was  now  rendered  un- 
necessary. 

On  April  22nd  we  again  boarded  freight  trains  and  started 
for  Nashville,  where  we  arrived,  after  an  uneventful  but  very 
tedious  ride,  on  the  24th. 

Our  division  marched  east  on  the  Charlotte  Pike,  and  went 
into  camp  on  the  left  of  the  pike  about  three  miles  from  the  city. 

The  Seventy-fourth  remained  in  this  camp  until  June  llth. 
During  our  stay  here  we  put  in  our  time  strolling  over  the  battle- 
fields and  plantations  surrounding  the  city.  A  place  of  much 
interest  to  us  was  the  Gen.  Harding  plantation  on  the  Harding 
Pike,  since  known  as  the  famous  Bell  Mead  Stock  Farm.  Gen. 
Opdycke,  commanding  our  brigade,  kept  us  at  regiment  and 
brigade  drill  two  or  three  times  a  week,  very  much  to  our  dis- 
gust. 

On  the  first  of  June  orders  were  received  for  the  muster-out 
of  the  Seventy-fourth.  During  the  next  few  days  the  regimental 
and  company  officers  were  very  busy  making  out  the  muster-out 
rolls  for  the  regiment. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  Seventy-fourth  marched 
at  1:00  o'clockon  the  morning  of  the  llth  to  Nashville,  and  took 
the  cars  for  Louisville,  where  we  arrived  at  5:00  o'clock  p.  m. 
We  got  our  supper  at  the  soldiers'  home  and  crossed  the  Ohio 
to  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  and  left  at  one  o'clock  next  morning  for 
Indianapolis,  where  we  arrived  at  6:00  a.  m.  on  the  12th.  We 


SEVENTY-FOURTH    ILL.     REGIMENT.  245 

spent  the  day  in  the  city  and  heard  a  good  speech  from  Gov. 
Morton. 

We  left  Indianapolis  at  10:00  p.  m.  for  Chicago,  and  arrived 
in  the  city  of  our  own  great  state  at  10:00  o'clock  a.  m.f  on  the 
thirteenth  of  June.  The  Seventy-fourth  was  received  by  a  salute 
from  the  artillery,  and  an  excellent  dinner  was  provided  for  us 
at  the  soldiers'  home.  After  dinner  we  visited  the  sanitary  fair 
and  heard  speeches  from  Gen.  Sherman,  Gov.  Yates  and  others. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  regiment  marched  to  Camp  Doug- 
las and  went  into  quarters.  Camp  Douglas  was  at  that  time  on 
the  extreme  southern  limits  of  the  city.  South  of  the  camp  were 
only  a  few  scattering  farm  houses,  and  one  partly  completed 
building  of  what  is  now  the  Chicago  University. 

We  were  detained  at  Camp  Douglas  until  June  28th,  wait- 
ing for  our  pay  and  final  discharge.  During  this  time  many  of 
the  regiment  visited  Rockford,  or  their  homes  in  other  places. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th  we  marched  to  the  paymaster's 
office  on  Kinzie  street,  and  received  our  pay  and  discharge. 

At  4:00  o'clock  p.  m.,  Maj.  Remington,  with  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  members  of  the  Seventy-fourth,  started  for 
Rockford.  We  received,  a  warm  welcome  from  the  citizens  of 
Rockford,  and  were  marched  to  the  Holland  House  and  served 
with  a  bounteous  supper,  after  which  the  boys  separated,  to  meet 
no  more  as  a  military  organization. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


REUNION  PROCEEDINGS  AND  HISTORY  OF  THE  R 


